Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said in a Wednesday morning interview on Radio 103FM that if the IDF withdraws from the yellow line in Lebanon, he would regard it as a failure. Speaking with Gideon Oko and Amichai Atali, he said, “If we retreat from the yellow line, I will be the first to say we failed. Absolutely, I say that,” and added that returning to the blue line would also be, in his view, a failure.
Chikli said Israeli forces are currently deep inside Lebanese territory and argued Israel should hold strategic points there, not all of the territory it has reached. He said the army is in the Tabenin area and on the outskirts of Nabatieh, and stressed, “We must not again defend Metula from a position inside Metula,” comparing the situation to lessons from Gaza.
He also warned Iran after threats from Tehran that it would launch missiles at Israel if Israeli operations in Lebanon continue. “Iran will make a fatal mistake if it attacks the State of Israel now,” he said, adding that Israel is militarily and strategically much stronger than Iran and that Israeli gains would not disappear even if a deal is eventually reached.
On the nuclear and regional talks led by the Trump administration, Chikli said he is more worried about the alliance behind the emerging arrangement than about Iran’s economy. He singled out Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan, calling them part of a dangerous new “radical Sunni evil axis.” He also said Trump remains important to Israel because of the arms embargo relief, the US embassy move to Jerusalem and the Abraham Accords, but argued Trump is being overly influenced by Qatar and Turkey. Chikli softened his criticism of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, saying harsh nicknames were unnecessary, though he still said they deserve criticism because they are key players in a murky mix of interests and fail to recognize the threat from the Muslim Brotherhood.
