‘No choice’ – Israel’s security depends on Hezbollah war

Hezbollah is the biggest threat to Israel behind Iran, and decisive military action against the Shi’ite terror group is needed, says prominent analyst.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel must “embark on a broad and comprehensive war to defeat Hezbollah” in order to return tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to their homes in northern border communities, as well as restore Israel’s deterrence in the region, says a prominent security analyst.

Diplomatic efforts pushed by the Biden administration to avert a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah are doomed to fail, Dr. Omer Dostari, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Strategy and Security, told Hebrew-language news outlet Ma’ariv.

“Hezbollah is currently the most serious threat to the State of Israel, except for Iran. If Israel does not manage to deal with this threat immediately, there will be another October 7th in the north a few years from now,” Dostari stressed.

“Israel must take advantage of the security reality that has been created, the international legitimacy following Hezbollah’s incessant attacks…and the fact that Hezbollah cannot strategically and operationally surprise Israel at the border,” he continued.

“The Israeli security apparatus is also already in a state of war, many reserve forces are being mobilized, and the army is prepared and ready in terms of skills and operational exercises…and since October 7th, Israel has continued to receive supplies of American weapons, most of which are intended for use in Lebanon and not in Gaza.”

He warned that due to Hezbollah’s massive missile and weapons arsenals, Israel will likely sustain “severe and painful” damage to the home front, including civilian casualties.

But, Dostari said, Israel could launch a pre-emptive attack on Hezbollah’s weapons storehouses in order to lessen the terror group’s ability to strike back at Israel.

He also urged the government to “prepare the Israeli public” for various emergency wartime scenarios “starting now.”

Dostari expressed his skepticism regarding a diplomatic solution that would prevent a war between Hezbollah and Israel, saying he placed little faith in the efforts of U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein.

“In all the previous rounds [of diplomatic discussions], Hochstein failed, mainly due to Hezbollah’s refusal to withdraw its forces beyond the Litani River. So it is expected that this round also fail.”

Dostari said that the chances of Hezbollah agreeing to withdraw its forces to the Litani River were “slim to none,” stressing that even in the unlikely event of such a move occurring, “Hezbollah could quickly move its troops” back to areas along the border with Israel “after a short period of time.”

He added that solutions such as UN guarantees meant to distance Hezbollah from the border had failed in the past, pointing to Resolution 1701, which was never enforced.

“The security of the State of Israel cannot be dependent on foreign bodies, certainly not on peacekeeping forces that have almost no authority and no ability to manage the threat of Hezbollah,” he said.