Netanyahu in unusual video to the people of Lebanon: ‘Join Israel’

In a video he posted today, Netanyahu addressed the people of Lebanon directly, making clear that Israel’s war is not directed against them, but against the Hezbollah terrorist organization. He said, “Israel wants peace with you. Take your future into your own hands. Join Israel. Build security and prosperity for all our children.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday delivered a direct, recorded and unusual message in English aimed entirely at the citizens of Lebanon, against the backdrop of the ongoing fighting in the north and the dramatic escalation with the Shiite terrorist organization. At the start of his remarks, the prime minister sought to draw a clear and absolute distinction between the civilian population in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s leadership, and stressed that the State of Israel is not at war with the Lebanese people. Netanyahu explained to viewers that the fighting is directed solely at Hezbollah, an organization that, לדבריו, has taken the State of Lebanon hostage, operates on behalf of and under the direct guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and uses Lebanon’s sovereign territory to carry out murderous terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens.

He then appealed to the collective memory of Lebanon’s citizens and took them back to the days when the country was considered the pearl of the Middle East, before it suffered the destructive influence of the Shiite axis. He asked whether they remember what Lebanon looked like before Iran and Hezbollah turned it into a lasting nightmare, and nostalgically recalled the bustling cafes, the rich culture and the quiet that once characterized the country. The prime minister said all of this disappeared only because Hezbollah and Iran are dragging the entire region into repeated wars, and told the people of Lebanon that they and their children deserve a much better future than the one imposed on them by the terrorist organization.

Alongside the emotional appeal, Netanyahu presented significant military figures reflecting the scale of the damage the IDF has inflicted on the terrorist organization in recent times, in order to clarify the current balance of power. He said Hezbollah is now in the weakest position in its history, while the State of Israel is stronger than ever. According to the figures he revealed, Israel’s security forces have so far eliminated close to 10,000 Hezbollah terrorists, and he stressed that the IDF is systematically and thoroughly clearing southern Lebanon of those religious fanatics, while sending a firm message that Israel will reach every terrorist regardless of where he is hiding.

In the final part of the speech, the prime minister focused on the future vision and Israel’s desire for a political settlement and lasting peace, while identifying Hezbollah as the only obstacle preventing that vision from being realized. Netanyahu said Israel longs for true peace with Lebanon, peace that would allow the two peoples to invest together, build joint projects and prosper side by side. He accused Hezbollah terrorists of choosing death over life and sacrificing the people of Lebanon for their extremist goals, and called on the Lebanese not to allow dark theocrats to destroy the shared civilization. He concluded by calling on the Lebanese people to take their fate into their own hands, join Israel’s path of peace, and promised that once Hezbollah is disarmed, the opportunities for cooperation and growth will be endless. “Do not let your future be dictated by medieval theocrats determined to destroy our shared civilization,” Netanyahu said. “Israel wants peace with you. Take your future into your own hands. Join Israel. Build security and prosperity for all our children. And once Hezbollah is dismantled, the possibilities will be endless, and the sky is the limit.”