Saudi Arabia Protests to the U.S. Over Israel’s Conduct in Lebanon

Saudi Arabia is dissatisfied with Israel’s conduct in Lebanon, and representatives on its behalf protested to the Trump administration in the United States. That was reported for the first time this morning, Wednesday, by Kan News.

The Saudis want to weaken Hezbollah’s power and are seeking to strengthen the Lebanese state, but they do not want to see a broad war there, which in their view would only lead to anarchy. The Saudi view is that Israel does not have a clear plan for conducting the war.

The Gulf kingdom also suspects that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to expand the war in Lebanon is also intended to reignite the war in the Gulf and undermine understandings taking shape between the United States and Iran.

Recently, Saudi Arabia has been unusually trying to strengthen its ties with Hezbollah’s Shiite ally in Lebanon, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, out of concern that the internal Lebanese situation will spiral out of control if the leadership in Beirut moves too quickly toward a normalization agreement with Israel without legitimacy from the Shiite community, which would ultimately serve Hezbollah.

Saudi Arabia fears that if the confrontation in Lebanon is not decided, Hezbollah will grow stronger. Saudi support for the operation in Lebanon: "In favor of disarming Hezbollah"