President Isaac Herzog toured northern Israel on Wednesday and sent a message to the President and people of Lebanon.
Speaking in Arabic, Herzog addressed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the people of Lebanon: “From Israel’s northern border, I extend a hand of peace to the President of Lebanon and to the Lebanese people. But Lebanon must remain free from the influence of Iran, Hezbollah, and the terror organizations as an independent and sovereign nation."
“My dream is to travel to Beirut, and this dream is still alive, but only if Lebanon’s future is determined in Beirut, and not in Tehran."
Speaking in English, President Herzog added, “It was Hezbollah that violated the UN Security Council Resolution of 2006. It was Hezbollah that violated the ceasefire agreement of 2024. Israel cannot accept any attacks on our citizens, any attacks crossing our borders, any terror attacks."
"We have the full right to defend ourselves, and so long as there is no clear arrangement that protects our nation, it will be impossible to move forward. So it's in your hands, fight for it," he concluded.