Deputy PM confirms: Israel is gathering intel inside Lebanon
Likud's Moshe Ya'alon addresses legal ramifications of Goldstone report, criticizes ex-IDF chief Halutz.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Hezbollah Moshe Ya'alon Lebanon Israel newsDeputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) confirmed on Saturday that Israel was operating intelligence-gathering networks within Lebanon.
Speaking at an event in Be'er Sheva, Ya'alon said that "the moment Hezbollah renewed their attacks, we began to collect intelligence. We will stop when Hezbollah disarms itself and the [Israel-Lebanon] border is a border of peace."
"When we are in conflict with an enemy," he continued, "we gather information about them."
On Wednesday, Lebanese troops found and dismantled four rockets ready for launching near the border with Israel, one day after a Katyusha rocket fired from Lebanon exploded in the Upper Galilee, marking the first such incident since last month.
Lebanon's Foreign Minister, Fawzi Salloukh, told pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat on Saturday that Israel had overreacted to the launches and that Israeli officials weren't planning to wait until a joint investigation of the incident by UNIFL and the Lebanese army could present its findings.
Ya'alon also addressed the legal aspects of the Goldstone report, compiled by a UN fact-finding mission led by South African jurist Richard Goldstone, which accused Israel of committing war crimes during its offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter. Fears arose in Israel that international pressure to try Israel Defense Forces commanders over these alleged war crimes would limit their freedom of movement outside Israel. "I am willing to forgo studies in London if that is the price for sticking to the principle of protecting the State of Israel," Ya'alon declared.
Ya'alon, who served as IDF chief of staff before joining the Likud party and the current government, also criticized his successor Dan Halutz, who commanded the IDF during Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
"What happened with Dan Halutz was a tragedy," Ya'alon said. "He was an excellent air force commander, and a fine deputy chief of staff. However, when he became chief of staff, several things happened which I can only describe as the sin of arrogance. That is what caused most of the damage during the Second Lebanon War."
He explained that top ranking officers are required to maintain a high degree of humility "That is the difference between them and the others. We the major generals, lieutenant generals and ministers must maintain humility and recognize the limitations of our power. If we move away from this humility for one moment we're likely to find ourselves in a very bad place," he went on to say.
In regard to Israel's recent tension with Turkey, Ya'alon said that Israel is watching with concern the changes that Turkey is undergoing. "Their tendency is to lean eastward toward Iran and Syria. This requires us to reassess the situation. The U.S. has asked Ankara to use the country in order to take action in Afghanistan, and they refused. We have to reassess."
Finally, addressing Iran's controversial nuclear program, Ya'alon quoted Western diplomats who have argued that "there is no question now that the international pressure must be exerted to the point that will prevent Iran from developing weapons of mass destruction."
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Israel when hezbollah announces it has cells in israel. This is a two way street. Israel made hezbollah rise and now its fighting its own creation.
...is a precious resource for Israel, but in instances such as these, he should keep his mouth shut. Who does it benefit to confirm such things? It doesn't help Israel's cause one whit but quite the opposite. Always keep the enemy guessing is my motto.
Sure, "all's fair in love and war," including spying. But how do you respond to Israel's spying on its friend, the US? All is quiet when this question is asked, but it has been going on for a very long time. The truth from the Israeli spin machine is rarely, if ever, expressed.
Roo-the demilitarized zone was demilitarized, but still Israeli territory. Israel sent tractors into the demilitarized zone to assert its sovereignty. These were armored tractors, but not tanks, armored because of Syrian fire. Syria may have considered Israel asserting its sovereignty over the demilitarized zone a provocation, but for Israel it was simply an assertion of sovereignty. War by other means.
Israel was always operating intelligence-gathering networks within lebanon and other countries before and after Hezbollah. and Hezbollah was the result of the Israeli occupation to Beirut. 2nd the Israeli minister had mention that Israel used to spy on its allies like the USA, so how about the ennemies. the minister forgot the fact that Hezbollah is a lebanese organization whose 100 percent of the members are lebanese and mostly from the south of lebanon that was occupied by the ISRAELIS for more than 2 decades... and still it's the Lebanon and Hezbollah's duty to show the good will and disarm... what is happening was simply very expected... It's only the another Face of War.
Please do continue spying on Lebanon thats good for Israel and we should do it but the deputy PM has no business coming out and admitting it on the record thats bad for Israel and any spies who may still be operating in Lebanon and any other enemy states where Israel may have spies. Keep up the good work though guys the more terrorist secrets you discover the better.
My question is of course rhetorical. It seems the Deputy PM is admitting what was already obvious. I don't think it is a bad idea for Israel to spy on Lebanon and Hisbollah. What baffles is why all the years of dissembling, disinformation, denials and digression? What would have been wrong with just being honest about what everyone knew? Clearly Israel was not meaning to lie to Lebanon. Was it trying to confuse the world? What is wrong with honesty? It is neither illegal or immoral to spy upon a nation which is technically at war with you and has no diplomatic relations. This is doubly so when there is an often rogue Militia which has recently caused great harm to Israel? What has been wrong has been Israel acting guilty instead of acting honest. This has become a habit in the last 30 years and it is a bad habit. It harms Israel rather than protects it.
not at all. That and justice is why all legal systems recognize self defence. The real question is what is self defence? Does a "reasonable" concept of self defence require a state to wait until it is attacked before it can defend itself? The answer has to be that waiting can be lethal. Hence, a right to gather intelligence against terror states like Lebanon.
Israeli overflights have been in violation of 1701 since the cease-fire. Have you ever read 1701?
... can never forget him hobnobbing in East Jerusalem Hotels with that FOX-TV preacher, a brief Republican candidate for USA Pres... and the plans the two contrived for Israel's grand future...
you are ibn sharmoota.