Minister Sa’ar says 'No country would tolerate what Israel faces from Lebanon'

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke at the JNS Conference in Jerusalem on Iran, Lebanon and Hezbollah, as well as the new embassies he has personally opened in Jerusalem.

Minister Sa’ar said that “Israel’s relationship with Lebanon has long been complex, recalling that a peace agreement was signed in 1983 before the assassination of Bachir Gemayel shortly thereafter, and adding that while minor border issues may be solvable, the core challenge remains the presence of Hezbollah, which he described as the central obstacle to Lebanese future, independence and sovereignty and Israeli security. This is a mutual challenge."

He added that, “I hear statements in the international community that Israel is breachingLebanon’s sovereignty. This is not the truth. Hezbollah is breaching Lebanon's sovereignty.Iran is breaching Lebanon’s sovereignty. The Foreign Minister of Lebanon decided to expel the Iranian ambassador from Beirut some months ago-this has never happened before. Lebanon is effectively under indirect Iranian occupation through Hezbollah, which is stronger than the Lebanese army and this reflects the depth of the problem that must be addressed in any future regional arrangement."

On Israel’s response to Hezbollah attacks, which have been killing Israeli soldiers and impacting sovereignty in Israel, i.e. doing what it is obligated to do to defend its people, Minister Sa’ar comments on the feelings of people around the world, not just in the US, “Just to make it clear, first of all, we accepted the current ceasefire. We said clearly we respect it unless the other side breaches it, then we will have to defend ourselves. But almost everyone is missing the context. We fully withdrew from Lebanon 26 years ago, in 2000. Ehud Barak was prime minister. We withdrew to the Blue Line. Ever since then, we have been under attacks from Lebanese territory, with amazing amounts of rockets, missiles, and drones."

“This war began on October 8th from Lebanon. We did not initiate it; Hezbollah initiated it. They joined after Hamas attacked us on October 7th, 2023. I don’t think there is any other country in the world that would accept attacks from neighboring territory on its citizens, and we cannot as well," Minister Sa’ar stated.

Regarding Minister Sa’ar’s activities as Foreign Minister-receiving, inviting, communicating, and also criticizing, he has taken a very hard line with an EU official and some representatives. On the future of EU-Israel relations, he says, “First of all, just yesterday and today we had a successful visit from an EU commissioner, Dubravka Šuica, the Mediterranean Commissioner. We had very good, open, honest discussions with her. The decision I took last Thursday was not against the EU, but against a specific commissioner who said that Israel is an apartheid state. I privately asked her a week earlier to do something about it; she did not respond. She could have clarified or retracted it, but I do not think that when such an accusation is made against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, where Arab citizens enjoy full and equal rights, I, as Foreign Minister of Israel, can remain silent."

“Therefore," Minister Sa’ar explained, “I didn’t have any choice. I always prefer dialogue, and we had good dialogue for a period of time with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs. But as a country, we must draw red lines.’

“I want to emphasize that we are for dialogue, we are ready. We are used to being criticized. But dialogue does not mean that the other side dictates political positions, especially when they touch our basic national interests. There we must stand by our interests and defend our interests. I believe that if that is the approach, we can find common ground. The EU and Israel should have strong relations; they do not have better friends in the region that share their values and interests. But you cannot do that by accepting the other side’s positions uncritically. It must be an honest discussion."

Minister Sa’ar explained, “for example, they say settlements are illegal. We disagree. We have valid legal arguments going back to the Balfour Declaration. I don’t think there is another nation on this planet with a better documented historical claim to its land than the Jewish people. This has been debated by all Israeli governments since 1967, when we liberated parts of our land, including parts of our capital, and we have the fundamental right that we can live everywhere. The question is not the right itself, but how to implement it, and that is something each government must consider carefully. But the fundamental right remains, and it will not change under any future government."

Minister Sa’ar commented on the election of a pro-Israel candidate as president in Colombia, saying that “the elected president of Colombia is a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people. I know him personally; I met him about half a year ago in Buenos Aires. He will also be a good ally to the United States. It is the complete opposite of the current president. I invited him to Jerusalem even before his inauguration on August 7, and I hope he will come to Israel before then. I am sure that we are entering what I believe will be the best period in our relations with Colombia. The broader picture is even more encouraging-what we are seeing in Peru, Honduras, Chile, Bolivia in the past year, and parliamentary elections in Argentina."

He added that “there is a regional shift in the right direction. I defined 2026 as the “Latin America year" for my ministry. We will invest heavily in strengthening relations. For us, as for our American friends, the Western Hemisphere is strategically important. I believe Latin America can become a strong and friendly confidant in the coming years."

Minister Sa’ar has taken a proactive stance in standing up against the demonization of Israel and protecting its reputation worldwide, including welcoming leaders to Jerusalem, visiting them, and opening embassies and consulates. “In this line of work," he said, “you must be proactive. I could invest all my time only blocking initiatives against Israel, but you also need to create progress on other fronts, even in the most challenging times. When I entered the ministry, we had five embassies in Jerusalem. Today we have eight. My goal is to reach ten, double the original number, before the end of my term."

“We have opened embassies in Moldova, Estonia, Zambia, and Fiji. The next embassy will open in Slovenia within two months. Even in difficult times, we are widening our diplomatic reach. We have a lot of countries and to be frank I need to choose. Many countries want to open embassies in Israel, and we must prioritize. Resources are limited, but we are making progress across many areas."

Minister Gideon Sa’ar concluded by saying, “It is my privilege to serve my country in these challenging times."