Filber Says Israel Would Not Withdraw From South Lebanon, Even if It Means Clashing With Washington

Strategic adviser and pollster Shlomo Filber said on Thursday, in an interview with Tal Maier, that it is still too early to determine the real meaning of the understanding between the United States and Iran, despite growing criticism on the Israeli right of President Donald Trump. He urged restraint, saying, “I am among those who do not rush to launch into a sword-and-dagger war and start smearing and cursing. In the end we have to be fair.” Filber added that Trump has given Israel “incredible support” for 10 years, and one disagreement should not erase that record.

Filber said it is not yet clear what the deal actually contains, arguing that “the hidden is greater than the visible” and that there are too many missing pieces in the puzzle to take a definitive position before the details are filled in. But on one issue he spoke emphatically, the situation in Lebanon. He said the first and only real test for Israel in this episode is whether it will allow itself to be drawn into a trap by the Iranians, and he believes Israel will not agree to pull back from southern Lebanon.

“I know quite certainly and almost without any doubt that Israel will not agree to withdraw from there,” Filber said. He added that Israel would stand firm even if that meant a dispute with Washington, saying it would insist on its position “including if they have to enter into a confrontation.”

Filber also said the Israeli public is nearly united behind this stance, claiming there is “an Israeli consensus from one end to the other” and that more than 80% of the public says Israel should face off with the United States if necessary to protect northern residents and soldiers in the north. The comments came amid debate over the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran and its implications for the northern front.