Ehud Olmert: 'Hezbollah is not interested in war'

Friday, July 12, marks 18 years since the start of the Second Lebanon War. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated in an interview with the radio station Kan REKA that this war led to dramatic changes in relations with Hezbollah.

"For 17 years, Hezbollah did not fire a single shot at Israeli territory. For 17 years, Galilee prospered, settlements developed, and residents stayed in their homes," said the former prime minister.

According to Olmert, the responsibility for Hezbollah's increased power lies with Benjamin Netanyahu. "He called himself 'Mr. Security,' saying he would destroy Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, and Iran. In practice, he allowed Hezbollah to arm itself. But the deterrent factor against Hezbollah worked. It still works now. They would not dare start a war if it were not for the catastrophe of October 7, when it seemed that the state of Israel was collapsing, and the government was not functioning," Olmert said.

Speaking about the current situation, Olmert emphasized that after nine months of war in the south, Israel is not interested in another war in the north. In Olmert's opinion, Hezbollah is also not interested in war. "The historical disagreements between Lebanon and us concern some areas on the border and the Shebaa Farms. I believe that if agreements can be reached on this matter and these disagreements can be resolved, it will be possible to convince Hezbollah to retreat to the Litani River, as it was after the Second Lebanon War," said the former prime minister.

"In the event of a war with Hezbollah, Lebanon will be destroyed; our strikes will be heavier than those on Gaza. But Israel will suffer blows like never before. We are not interested in this, and they are not interested in this," said Olmert.