Chances of another war in Lebanon would increase should Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora choose to resign, according to former chief of Israel Defense Forces Army Intelligence Corps, Major General (res.) Aharon Ze'evi Farkash.

Farkash told Army Radio Sunday that Israel should not intervene in the political crisis in Beirut. "It is Europe's responsibility to prevent radical elements from overtaking [Lebanon], elements that try to turn it into an Iranian outpost," he said.

The former intelligence chief also warned such intervention could possibly lead to an attempt on Siniora's life: "At this point, anything that appears to be a positive Israeli gesture toward Siniora and Lebanon would intensify [the internal Lebanese] struggle, and will push Iran and Syria towards deciding they should assassinate Siniora," Farkash said.

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MK Mohammad Barakeh (Hadash) also told Army Radio that Israel should refrain from becoming actively involved in the crisis: "As long as negotiations for a prisoner swap continue and the United Nations is trying to formulate its stance on the issue of the Shaba Farms under Resolution 1701, I think there's no reason to fear," he said.

In relation to the solution to the crisis in Lebanon, however, Barakeh is convinced that the only step that would allow reinstating political stability in Lebanon is to hold new elections.

Barakeh said he does not believe that another conflict between Israel and Lebanon would erupt soon: "The situation can only change if Israel decided to bring new order [to the region]. Israel's megalomania has always hovered over Lebanon," he said.

Israel may try strengthening Siniora
The mounting crisis threatening the Siniora government in Lebanon, and the specter of a Hezbollah takeover, have spurred senior Israeli government officials in Jerusalem to raise several proposals in recent days aimed at strengthening Siniora, who faces street protests that Hezbollah has launched against his government.

The goal is to prove that Siniora can obtain more through peaceful diplomacy than Hezbollah, which has accused him of a "defeatist policy" toward Israel, was able to gain through violence.

Israel and several Arab states, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, are increasingly concerned that Siniora's government will fall, resulting in a Hezbollah takeover that would turn the country into what an Israeli government source termed "the first Arab state to become an Iranian protectorate."

One possibility under discussion is urging the European Union to recognize the disputed Shaba Farms region as Lebanese territory. Currently, both the EU and the United Nations consider the Israeli-held region to be Syrian, but Beirut claims that Shaba is Lebanese.

Another possibility is for Jerusalem to reach an agreement with Siniora on an Israeli evacuation of the divided village of Ghajar and its transfer to UN control until a final agreement on its status is reached. Currently, the Israeli-Lebanese border splits the village in two.

Israeli defense officials worry that even if Siniora's government does not fall, the confrontation with Hezbollah will weaken the security arrangements in southern Lebanon that were put in place following this summer's Lebanon war. They also fear that Hezbollah supporters might try to clash with Israeli soldiers stationed along the border.

Meanwhile, a senior government source said this weekend that U.S. President George Bush has told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he has no intention of removing Iran and Syria from the "Axis of Evil."

The Baker-Hamilton Commission, which was established to examine ways to improve the situation in Iraq, is slated to submit its findings to Bush on Wednesday, and it is widely expected to recommend that the United States begin talks with Iran and Syria.

But the government source said Bush promised Olmert that his position on Iran would remain unchanged as long as Tehran remains committed to pursuing its nuclear program. As for Syria, the source said, Bush has conditioned any resumption of dialogue on Damascus ceasing to interfere with Lebanon and ending its support for Hezbollah, and both the recent murder of Lebanese minister Pierre Gemayal and Hezbollah's confrontation with Siniora make it even less likely that Bush would change his position on this issue.

Last week, U.S. National Security Adviser Steve Hadley said he sees no clear connection between the Israeli-Arab conflict and the situation in Iraq.