Israel Lobbies Governments to Rein in Hezbollah

In the wake of the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad Al-Hariri, Israel has taken an unusual, behind-the-scenes diplomatic initiative to keep Hezbollah from extending its influence any further in the politics of Lebanon.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry sent a classified message to all its embassies around the world, which, according to Channel 10, said: “You are requested to urgently contact the Foreign Ministry and other relevant government officials and emphasize that the resignation of Al-Hariri, and his comments on the reasons that led him to resign, illustrate once again the destructive nature of Iran and Hezbollah and the danger they pose to the stability of Lebanon and the countries of the region.”

The secret missive continued: “Al-Hariri’s resignation proves that the international argument that Hezbollah’s inclusion in the government is a recipe for stability is fundamentally flawed. This artificial unity creates paralysis and the inability of local sovereign powers to make decisions that serve their national interest. It effectively turns them into hostages who are under physical threat and are forced to promote the interests of a foreign power – Iran – even if this may endanger the security of their country.”

The instruction was transmitted secretly, presumably because it involved the internal affairs of another country.

Israeli diplomats abroad were also asked to convey an unusual message of support for Saudi Arabia in its current confrontation with Iran:

“The events in Lebanon and the launching of a ballistic missile at the international airport in Riyadh show that increased pressure is required on Iran and Hezbollah on a range of issues from the production of ballistic missiles to regional subversion.”

Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif implied that U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior advisor Jared Kushner had engineered Hariri’s sudden departure from Lebanon.

“Visits by Kushner & Lebanese PM led to [Saad] Hariri’s bizarre resignation while abroad,” Zarif tweeted on Monday. “Of course, Iran is accused of interference.”

Zarif did not offer details as to how Kushner might have accomplished this mission.

Kushner visited Saudi Arabia in October on a four-day visit to the region that also included Israel, Jordan and Egypt, Politico reported last week.