Herzog in Arabic message to Lebanese counterpart: ‘Secure Lebanon’s freedom’ from Hezbollah, Iran

In an apparent first for an Israeli president, Isaac Herzog sends an Arabic-language message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, telling his counterpart that he hopes for “peace” between their countries but that this depends on Beirut curbing the influence of Iran and Hezbollah.

“I extend a hand of peace to the president of Lebanon and to the Lebanese people. But it is your responsibility to secure Lebanon’s freedom from the dictates of Hezbollah, Iran, and terrorist organizations, so that it may preserve its status as a sovereign and independent state,” Herzog says in a video released by his office, during a tour of Israel’s northern border.

“My dream is to travel to Beirut, and this dream is still alive, but only if Lebanon’s future is determined in Beirut, and not in Tehran,” Herzog adds.

The appeal signals the increasingly open nature of communication between Israel and Lebanon amid ongoing US-hosted direct talks between the two countries, though a long-term agreement has proved difficult to reach: Iran continues to insist that a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon be part of any ceasefire deal with the US, while the Lebanese Armed Forces appear unable to keep the Hezbollah in check.

Switching to English, Herzog accuses the Iran-backed terror group of violating Israel’s 2006 and 2024 ceasefire agreements with Lebanon, saying Israel “cannot accept any attacks on our citizens, any attacks crossing our borders, any terror attacks. We have the full right to defend ourselves, and so long as there is no clear arrangement that protects our nation, it will be impossible to move forward.”

“So it’s in your hands, fight for it,” he says in the message, addressing the Lebanese people.