Between the Lines, Netanyahu Admitted That He Has Failed in Lebanon

Netanyahu does not often use the word ‘honesty’ in his statements. On Friday, he used it twice when announcing the halting of the Lebanon campaign against Hezbollah, confessing that the group remains standing – and that the threat along Israel’s northern border remains

Jonathan Lis

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted on Friday that he had not succeeded in achieving the objectives of the war in Lebanon – mitigating Hezbollah and ensuring the security of Israel’s communities along the northern border with Lebanon. Even now, the Shi’ite paramilitary group remains on its feet, holding thousands of rockets. It appears that it is far from appearing deterred by Israel or on the brink of collapse.

Despite the prime minister’s rare admission of failure, the habit of averting responsibility remained. This time, the blame lies with U.S. President Donald Trump.

“At the request of my friend President Trump, we agreed to a temporary cease-fire,” Netanyahu said. “At his request, we will give an opportunity to advance a combined diplomatic and military solution with the Lebanese government.”

Contrary to the statesmanlike image that he cultivated for himself, this time, Netanyahu chose not to take credit for the historic negotiations that opened this week with the Lebanese government. It can be assumed that this irregular show of candor is also a lesson he learned following the harsh public criticism he received following his boasting at the end of the military operation in June, when he claimed that Iran’s nuclear and missile programs had been set back years, only for the skirmish to reignite less than a year later.

Netanyahu does not often use the word “honesty” in his statements. On Friday, he chose to use it twice when announcing the halting of the Lebanon campaign. “I say honestly: We have not finished the job yet,” he said. “There are things we plan to do against the threat of the remaining [Hezbollah] rockets and against the threat of drones, and I will not elaborate.”

Dismantling Hezbollah remains a central goal, Netanyahu said, but its achievement is far off. “Therefore, I tell you again honestly: This will not be achieved tomorrow,” he clarified. “It requires sustained effort, patience and perseverance, and it requires prudent navigation in the political arena.”

In light of Trump’s statements on Friday that “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer,” it is unclear what room for maneuver Israel will be allowed to implement these plans. Between the lines, Netanyahu admitted that the operation in southern Lebanon did not achieve its main purpose. “One way or another, we will restore security to the residents of the north,” he promised – thereby effectively confirming that the desired security has not yet been achieved.

The cease-fire in Lebanon exposes Netanyahu’s frailty. He was forced to completely back down in the face of Trump’s demands. Moreover, it was none other than Iran’s ayatollah regime that forced Israel to hold its fire – the same regime that survived the American-Israeli attack and continues to hold power in Tehran. It was Iran that demanded the cease-fire in Lebanon from the United States. Washington complied, and Israel was required to execute. “I insisted that the cease-fire in Iran would not include Hezbollah,” Netanyahu publicly declared just a few days ago.

In his Friday statement, Netanyahu listed the achievements in the bloody confrontation with Hezbollah since October 2023: the creation of a security strip preventing invasion by the group’s commando Radwan Force and anti-tank fire, and the destruction of 90 percent of the group’s rocket stockpiles.

But the current tone is completely different from that displayed on the eve of the approval of the previous cease-fire in November 2024. Then, Netanyahu presented a picture of absolute victory. “This is no longer the same Hezbollah,” he said then.

“We set it back decades. We eliminated Nasrallah, destroyed most of its missiles and rockets, and destroyed the terror infrastructure near our border. We attacked strategic targets throughout Lebanon. The ground in Beirut is shaking,” he declared. In those days, Netanyahu promised an immediate and uncompromising response to any violation of the cease-fire. “We maintain full military freedom of action. If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack. If it tries to renew terror infrastructure, if it launches a rocket or brings in a truck with missiles – we will attack,” he said then. On Friday, however, Trump made it clear that, at least for now, even this freedom of action has been limited.

Source: HAARETZ

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