Hizbullah may form Iranian proxy-state in Lebanon

The Jerusalem Post

Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chair MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) commented during a tour of the northern border Sunday that "For some time there has been Iranian intervention in Sunni-Shi'ite struggles. We fear that the chance of Hizbullah establishing an Iranian proxy-state in Lebanon is quite high."

Committee MKs traveled a length of the Israel-Lebanon border, meeting with members of Division 91, the patrol unit on the Lebanese border, and also a forum of local residents who reside in communities along the sometimes-turbulent northern line.

During the committee's visit with Division 91, members were briefed on the current deployment of Hizbullah forces along border, as well as how the situation has shifted and advanced over the past few years since the end of the 2nd Lebanon War.

The committee was briefed by the head of the IDF Northern Command Gadi Eisenkot on the division's empowerment and increased weapons arsenal, as well as preparations made in response to any precarious scenario that might break out resulting from the publication of indictments from the International Court's investigation of past Lebanese prime minister Rafik Harir's assassination.

At the end of the army review, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee partook in a short tree-planting ceremony.

Later on the tour, committee members were led to the site where soldiers Goldwasser and Regev were kidnapped in 2006. Division 91 Brigadier General Yoel Stick gave the group a briefing on Hizbullah's activities at the time of the kidnappings and the IDF's actions since to prevent such future events from occurring.

The committee continued from there to meet with the heads of local communities residing along the northern border. There, MKs received several complaints from community heads about the north's isolation from the country's center, and their economic depravity. They also commented on the lack of government funding for improving community bomb shelters they claim are not up to standard or being appropriately budgeted.

MK Amir Peretz (Labor) responded that "it is inconceivable that community heads are required to feel like beggars."

Committee chair Mofaz added that he would request from the prime minister to help communities from landing in a vulnerable position along the Israel-Lebanon border, and demand that he strengthen them.