Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah

Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah  May 31, 2019 Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah, is a UANI weekly resource highlighting developments in Lebanon and the activities of the terrorist group Hezbollah.   Hezbollah Internationally Israel Defense Forces Releases Videos of Largest Hezbollah Tunnel The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released videos this week showing the interior of the largest tunnel Hezbollah had dug into Israel, one day before destroying it. The tunnel, more than a kilometer in length, began in the southern Lebanese village of Ramiya and extended several dozen meters into northern Israel. Hezbollah Participating in Battles in Hama's Northern Countryside Mustafa al-Bukour, the operations commander of Syrian opposition group Jaysh al-Izza, claimed this week that Hezbollah was participating in battles in the countryside north of Hama, a city in west-central Syria. Al-Bukour said his fighters had intercepted combatant conversations in the area north of Hama calling for correction of artillery fire, interdiction operations, and battle instructions. Al-Bukour said his group's information indicates hundreds of Hezbollah fighters have moved into the area on instructions from Russia, "leaving no doubt about Hezbollah's participation in recent Hama battles." The same report quoted Free Syrian Army (FSA) commander Abdesalam Abdel-rizk as suggesting Hezbollah may have also fought in recent battles in Kafr Nboudha - northwest of Hama - to reinforce the Syrian Army in light of its recent heavy casualties. Houthis Solicit Donations for Hezbollah Yemen's Iran-sponsored Houthis used their radio station - SAM FM 99.1 - to solicit donations for Hezbollah in Lebanon. The radio station said it was accepting donations from supporters through its "official account in all Yemeni post offices." U.S. economic sanctions on Iran have purportedly reduced the Islamic Republic's level of financial support for Hezbollah, its primary proxy. Hashem Safieddine: Resistance is Our Religion In a speech this week, the chairman of Hezbollah's Executive Council Hashem Safieddine said Hezbollah's commitment to "resistance" would only increase under pressure, "because it is a religion as far as we're concerned, and what guarantees our place in the afterlife." Lebanon Internationally Lebanon and Israel Close to Framework for Land-Maritime Border Talks The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Lebanon and Israel were close to establishing a framework for negotiations on demarcating the Lebanon-Israel land and maritime borders. The statement, released after a meeting on Tuesday between Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield, said the form of negotiations to be held under the auspices of the United Nations - and overseen by the United States - as well as the role of each of the concerned parties, is still being worked out. Satterfield returned to Lebanon this week from Israel in an optimistic mood, indicating there had been progress on reaching a negotiation framework with the Israelis. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry, for its part, expected border talks to begin within the next two weeks. However, despite progress, not all concerns have been ironed out. One report noted that Israel had yet to agree to linking the issues of land and maritime borders, a key Lebanese demand. Lebanese officials expressed their belief that Israel may merely be employing a hardline negotiation tactic, and will eventually relax its demands. Nabih Berri: Israel Agreeing to Border Demarcation Because Jews are Greedy Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told al-Joumhouria this week that Israel had softened its stance on demarcating its maritime border with Lebanon because Jews are greedy. He explained the change in Israel's attitude with this anecdote: "How do you identify a Jew? Simple: if you see a pregnant woman, throw a gold coin under her or near her. If the fetus jumps out of its mom's womb and takes gold, you'll immediately know it's a Jew." Berri claimed that Israel wanted to reap the financial benefits of solving the border issue with Lebanon, paving the way for international companies to invest in offshore oil and gas drilling. U.S. Air Force Central Command Chief Visits Lebanon The Commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Lt. Gen. Joseph T. Guastella, Jr., visited Lebanon this week. He met with the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), General Joseph Aoun, as well as other LAF key leaders, while visiting Hamat Air Base and Beirut Air Base on Monday and Tuesday. In his meetings, Lt. Gen. Guastella discussed the many challenges faced by the Lebanese Air Force, reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to a stronger Lebanese-American partnership, and continued U.S. support for the LAF in its capacity as the sole, legitimate defender of Lebanon. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.