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Source: https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/bkgtjnagmg
The Lebanese Government Must Replace Hizbullah in Providing Services to the Population
(Ynet News) Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Gershon - The agreement between Israel and Lebanon is important because it reflects a deep shift in Lebanese consciousness, one born of painful reality. The Lebanese now understand that Hizbullah does not protect Lebanon. It destroys it. Hizbullah is not the Lebanese army, but an Iranian army operating on Lebanese soil, serving Iranian goals and sacrificing Lebanon's national interest for Tehran's strategy. The real struggle will not be waged only against weapons depots, launchers or tunnels, but over the hearts of Lebanese citizens. If, after the Lebanese army enters the south, Iranian money also flows in for reconstruction and welfare, nothing fundamental will change. That is why the Lebanese government must arrive together with the Lebanese army to provide health care, welfare, education, jobs and community reconstruction. The citizen must feel that the state is his first address, not Hizbullah. At the same time, Beirut must gradually dismantle Hizbullah's civilian-economic infrastructure: gas stations, service networks, businesses, welfare institutions and all the mechanisms that turned Hizbullah into a state within a state. Israel can assist, openly when possible and discreetly when necessary. It can provide gas to help stabilize Lebanon's energy sector, share intelligence that would help the Lebanese government confront Iranian attempts to reestablish itself, and act against regional threats before they reach Lebanese territory. This is not generosity. It is policy. When Lebanon becomes a functioning and sovereign state, Israel will need fewer forces along the border, reduce the risk of another war, and improve its own national security. The success of the agreement, therefore, depends not only on disarming Hizbullah but on replacing the source of authority in the eyes of the citizen. As long as citizens believe Hizbullah cares for them more than their own government does, it will find a way to rebuild. For the first time in years, there is an alignment of interests between Israel, the Lebanese government, and most Lebanese citizens: a sovereign, functioning Lebanese state, free from the control of a foreign army. The writer served as IDF Home Front Command chief and as deputy commander of Northern Command.