Netanyahu: Hezbollah will pay a price if it attacks Israel
Gov’t still working hard on national security, despite third election, PM says.
By LAHAV HARKOVPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting on December 15, 2019(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Hezbollah had better not dare attack Israel or it will pay, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned at the opening of Sunday’s cabinet meeting.“If Hezbollah dares to attack Israel, the organization and the country of Lebanon, which allows attacks against us from its territory, will pay a heavy price,” he said.The prime minister referred to a recent statement by Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Maj.-Gen. Murteza Qurbani that Iran will “destroy Tel Aviv from Lebanon.”“He exposed a simple truth,” Netanyahu said. “Hezbollah is simply the executive arm of Iran from Lebanon, against Israel.”The prime minister added that holding a third election in less than a year will not distract the government from handling national security matters.“Unfortunately, we are entering a third election campaign, an unnecessary election that was forced on the country,” he said. “But as you see, the government is continuing to work vigorously in all important areas, first and foremost in matters of security.”Netanyahu said he cannot give details of what happens in security cabinet meetings, “but you see the results. The cabinet and security cabinet’s activities will continue as needed until the day of the election, and I hope after it, as well.”Netanyahu also congratulated UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for winning Thursday’s general election in the UK.“This is also a clear victory in the fight against antisemitism,” Netanyahu said.UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of nearly a dozen of instances of antisemitic statements and actions, and has allowed Jew-hatred to fester in his party with few consequences in recent years. Labour suffered its greatest loss since 1935 in Thursday’s election.
“I expect to continue working with Boris Johnson in the coming years to continue strengthening the excellent relations between Israel and Great Britain,” Netanyahu added. “They can be seen in our great trade numbers, in tourism and many other areas. They can also be seen in the area of security, in the fight against terrorism in a way that we hadn’t seen in previous years.”
