JNS
Coalition members flatly rejected the U.S.-France proposal for a 21-day ceasefire, while opposition leader Yair Lapid argued that a shorter truce could be acceptable.
Israeli political leaders on Thursday for the most part expressed strong opposition to a U.S.-France proposal for a 21-day ceasefire with Iran's Lebanese terrorist proxy Hezbollah.
“The most basic and understandable thing is that when your enemy is on his knees, you do not allow him to recover, but work to defeat him,” said Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
A ceasefire “conveys weakness, endangers the security of your citizens, and proves that you do not intend to win,” he said, vowing to leave the coalition government “if the temporary ceasefire becomes permanent."
"The campaign in the north must end with one scenario—the crushing of Hezbollah and the elimination of its ability to harm the residents of the north," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
"We must not give the enemy time to recover from the severe blows it has suffered and reorganize for the continuation of the war," he continued. "Hezbollah’s surrender or war—only in this way will we return the residents and security to the north and the country."
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar also weighed in, saying that "a ceasefire without any significant concession from Hezbollah is a serious mistake that jeopardizes Israel's major security achievements in recent days. I really hope the reports are not true; we must continue with full force until a clear resolution [is reached] in the north."
The United States, Australia, Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar called jointly on Wednesday night for an “immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement.”
Minutes before the statement went out, U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron stated that “it is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes.”
Neither of the two statements referred to Hezbollah.
Israel's National Missions Minister Orit Strook tweeted in response to the proposal that, "There is no moral mandate for a ceasefire. Not for 21 days, and not even for 21 hours. Hezbollah has turned Lebanon into a powder keg. Resolution 1701 has turned the residents of the north into hostages and exiles in their own land. We do not repeat past mistakes. We do not stop until things are fixed."
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli tweeted: "It is impossible to complete the campaign in the north without a ground operation aimed at creating a buffer zone and repositioning our forces in order to remove the threat of invasion into the Galilee and prevent the evacuation of settlements in a future conflict. We must not stop now."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid was more receptive to the proposal, but argued that 21 days was too long a period.
"The State of Israel should announce this morning that it accepts the Biden-Macron proposal for a ceasefire, but only for seven days," he wrote. The shorter timeframe would "prevent Hezbollah from restoring its command and control systems," he said, adding, "We will not accept any proposal that does not include the removal of Hezbollah from our northern border."
Lapid continued: "Any proposal put forward must allow the residents of the north to return safely to their homes immediately and lead to the resumption of negotiations for a hostage deal. Any violation—even the slightest—of the ceasefire will result in Israel resuming full-force attacks across all areas of Lebanon."
Shlomi and Merom HaGalil council heads Gabi Naaman and Amit Sofer also criticized the proposed ceasefire, Ynet reported.
"France and the United States are pressuring the prime minister for a 21-day ... ceasefire. I remind you that the government set one of the war’s goals as ensuring the safe return of northern border residents to their homes," said Naaman.
Sofer stressed that "this is a time of war, and we must not be confused by international pressures for a ceasefire that will achieve only two things: delaying the return of northern residents to their homes and abandoning those who were not evacuated."
The Chairman of the Confrontation Line Forum and head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council, Moshe Davidovich, said in an interview with Ynet that "my opinion is clear and unequivocal: This will be a fatal mistake. My residents have been in a fragile mental state for a year. This is a gift that must not be given to [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah, as it will lead to loss of life. This arrangement can be made in a few weeks when the State of Israel is in a more secure position."
Meanwhile, according to reports in Lebanon, Israeli forces were continuing to attack Hezbollah terror targets in the south of the country on Thursday.
Rocket and missile alerts also sounded in Acre and the surrounding area in northern Israel, with Israel's aerial defense array intercepting dozens of rockets. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.
