Gantz says ‘positive voices’ in Lebanon talking about peace with Israel

Defense Minister Benny Gantz sounds an optimistic note on the prospect of an eventual peace deal with Lebanon, amid indirect talks on demarcating the maritime border between the two countries.

“I also hear positive voices in Lebanon that are maybe talking about peace and relations with Israel,” he says during a tour of an Israel Defense Forces exercise along the northern border.

“There are welcome words,” Gantz adds. “The citizens of Lebanon must know that Hezbollah, not Israel, is their problem, because if Hezbollah attacks the State of Israel, Lebanon will pay the price.”

While Lebanon has reiterated that the border talks with Israel are purely a technical issue and do not herald any sort of normalization, the daughter of Lebanese President Michel Aoun has been drawing outrage in her country for backing the idea of peace with Israel.

Claudine Aoun, a well-known Lebanese public figure in her own right, first remarked on the subject last month and has since repeated her comments on national television several times. She tweeted about the issue again on Sunday in comments widely shared and critiqued in Lebanon.

“Before talking about peace, we must demarcate the borders and solve the problems related to our land,” she wrote on September 24, referring to the maritime border dispute, and several minor land disputes.

Israel has also downplayed the significance of the border talks, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on October 15 that the contacts might eventually lead to a peace deal.