Hillel Neuer appeared on NewsNation with Adrienne Bankert to discuss Israel’s objectives in Lebanon against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, and to express hope for an independent Lebanon to emerge free from the Islamic regime of Iran’s control.
Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: Joining me right now is foreign policy expert and human rights advocate, Hillel Neuer. Thank you so much for being with us once again. Now, the IDF is making significant gains, not only with targeted killings, but also in destroying a large percentage of weaponry that Hezbollah, the terror group, has been using. Talk to us a little bit about what exactly Israel’s objective is, are they looking to destroy Hezbollah as they have vowed to eradicate Hamas?
Hillel Neuer: Look, Israel is making significant progress in diminishing the power of what is the largest terrorist army in the world. Hezbollah has far more firepower than even the Lebanese army, and more than most countries have and more than most European countries. You know, they started the war with 150,000 missiles, suicide drones, and other very deadly weapons.
They are also a very experienced terrorist army because they were part of the genocide that Bashar al-Assad was perpetrating against its own people. Yet, in the past several months, Israel has significantly diminished them. They took out Hassan Nasrallah, and most of the leadership have been eliminated. Thousands of missiles have been destroyed. Israel is now attacking pinpoint operations in Beirut, where Hezbollah have missiles hidden beneath certain apartment buildings and other assets.
So, I would say that Israel is continuing to diminish the ability of Hezbollah to attack Israel. Obviously, in the past few weeks and in the past few days, Hezbollah has been attacking Israel’s north. They attacked a synagogue. They’re still able to kill people in Israel’s north, but they are being vastly reduced.
And it’s clear that Hezbollah is taking action to demand some kind of ceasefire, and they’ve stopped demanding any role in the Gaza conflict. So, Hezbollah is hugely reduced, and hopefully will be, you know, neutralized, so they can’t pose the kind of threat they’ve posed to Israel’s north, where you have some 60,000 Israelis who are internally displaced and can’t even live in the north because of Hezbollah’s attacks.
Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: Yeah, starting on October 8th is when Hezbollah started firing on Israel from Lebanon. How does a peace deal work? I mean, at first, according to Lebanese media, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, handed this draft deal of a ceasefire to Lebanon’s Parliament speaker, and then you have Iran being summoned by the Lebanese prime minister to negotiate peace talks between Israel and Hezbollah. Do we have the inner workings here? And what besides Iran saying Hezbollah back down could they do?
Hillel Neuer: Well, part of the main problem in Lebanon is that it’s really not up to the Lebanese people what happens to their own country. Lebanon has been occupied by the Islamic regime of Iran for several decades now. The largest military force in Lebanon is not the Lebanese army, and it’s not the Lebanese police. Instead, it’s the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s proxy, which is Hezbollah.
And so indeed, as you said, in order for any kind of a deal with Israel, we will see that Iran is the one who’s deciding. And hopefully, things are beginning to change. We’re beginning to see other sectors of power emerge. You know, there’s a large Sunni population while, of course, the Iranian regime is Shiite, so they support the Shiites in Lebanon. But you also have a Sunni Arab population. You have a very large Christian population. These are the Christian Maronites. You have Druze. You have other groups that are now beginning to feel stronger, and many of them are beginning to push back against Hezbollah, one of the great accomplishments of Israel’s war on Hezbollah.
Finally, as you said, after a year since October 8th, 2023, when Hezbollah has been pummeling Israel with well over 10,000 missiles and suicide drones fired at its north. The great accomplishment of Israel’s pushback would be the emergence of an independent Lebanon again, and indeed, resolution 1701, from way back in 2006 which called for the complete dismantlement of Hezbollah in the south of the country. It never happened. Now there’s a chance.
So, I think the international community should rally together to strengthen the true, original, independent, and authentic Lebanese elements to allow the Lebanese state to emerge once again. Keep in mind, Lebanon was once the pearl of the Middle East. Beirut has a beautiful beach front, and the Islamic regime of Iran destroyed that just like they destroyed Syria, destroyed Yemen, destroyed Gaza, and they’re trying to destroy the West Bank by infiltrating. So, we hope that an independent Lebanon will emerge to hopefully destroy Hezbollah and allow for a peaceful Middle East to emerge.
Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: It would be great. I think everyone’s wish—those of sober mind—want peace. Hillel Neuer, thank you for being with us.
Hillel Neuer: Thank you for having me.
