Israel Rejected Agreement with Lebanon Two Years Ago—Similar to One Currently Being Formulated
Written by Amnon Barzilai in Globes Wednesday, 09 August 2006
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A senior official, who until recently held a high-level position in Israel's security system, disclosed today that the agreement currently being hammered out for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon and implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1559 could have been reached two years ago already and with no bloodshed.
The official disclosed that two years ago the United States, together with France and the United Nations, drafted a proposal for the implementation of resolution 1559, which included the deployment of Lebanese military forces along the border with Israel, a removal of the Hezbollah from the area and the gradual dismantlement of the latter. However, the Israeli government, led by Ariel Sharon, torpedoed this initiative.
This arrangement had received the indirect support of the Lebanese governme, which stipulated that it not be presented as an ultimatum but as a political process. According to the source, the arrangement reached two years ago included six components: implementation of UNSC resolution 1559, an ending to the violations of Lebanon's sovereignty, a solution to the border dispute, a return of the Rajar village and Shaba farms, a freeing of prisoners and a solution to the water dispute between Israel and Lebanon.
The senior official emphasised that according to the agreement, it was accepted by all the parties involved in the process that the Hezbollah would be the one to pay the price, and that its removal from the border with Israel was intended to disband it.
The senior official further disclosed that on the eve of the redeployment of Syrian troops from Lebanon, there arose a disagreement in Israel regarding the position it should take on the matter. In the framework of the discussions held on this topic, fear arose that Syria's exit from Lebanon would be liable to create a vacuum that would be filled by Iran and the Hezbollah.
This article was originally published in Globes, the top Israeli economic newspaper. It was translated from Hebrew by Connie Hackbarth