Likud leader warns Israel must dismantle Hezbollah and secure northern border to guarantee national survival.
Member of the Knesset Ariel Kallner from the Likud Party stated that Israel must confront Hezbollah with the same determination it is showing against Iran, warning that the Lebanese terror group represents a direct and ongoing threat to Israel’s security.
In an interview, Kallner described Hezbollah as essentially a smaller version of Iran and accused the organization of pursuing the same destructive agenda against Israel. He argued that Hezbollah functions as a violent extremist force whose goal is the elimination of the Jewish state, and said the organization must be dismantled entirely.
According to Kallner, Israel should pursue Hezbollah relentlessly and dismantle both its military capabilities and its governing structures in Lebanon. He stressed that the same strategy applied against Hamas must also be implemented against Hezbollah in order to permanently remove the threat.
Kallner also addressed the issue of Israel’s northern border, arguing that the current border with Lebanon cannot provide adequate defense for the country. He stated that existing arrangements, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, have failed to prevent Hezbollah from building military infrastructure along the border.
The lawmaker proposed that Israel’s defensible border should extend to the Litani River in southern Lebanon. According to him, positioning the border at the Litani River would create a security buffer that would allow Israel to properly defend its northern communities and prevent Hezbollah from threatening Israeli territory.
Kallner further discussed the broader confrontation with Iran and warned against calls to end the conflict prematurely. He said that throughout the ongoing war there have been voices urging Israel to avoid decisive military action, including arguments against entering Rafah or confronting Hezbollah and Iran directly.
He emphasized that survival in the region requires patience and the willingness to fight prolonged wars when necessary. In his view, maintaining long-term security demands determination and persistence until the threats posed by terrorist organizations and hostile regimes are fully neutralized.
