Israel Slams Graziano for Meeting with Hizbullah which Reportedly is Avoiding all-out War
Israeli defense officials lashed out at UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Claudio Graziano for meeting with Amal and Hizbullah officials in the southern Lebanese town of Tibnin, the Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday.
Graziano on Monday stressed the importance of maintaining a "good relationship" with south Lebanon residents. His remarks came in a statement issued by UNIFIL following a meeting at the municipality of Tibnin that was also attended by representatives of the Lebanese army as well as MPs Ali Bazzi and Hassan Fadlallah.
The meeting came two weeks after an alleged Hizbullah ammunition cache exploded in Khirbet Selm.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli defense officials as saying that Graziano scheduled to complete his term as UNIFIL commander by the end of the year and was hoping to secure a top post in the United Nations.
To do this, the officials told the Israeli daily that Graziano was hoping to keep a lid on the tense situation in Lebanon at least until the end of his term.
"UNIFIL should focus on cracking down on Hizbullah instead of meeting with representatives of the terrorist organization," an Israeli defense official said, noting that the Jewish state was working to "sharpen" UNIFIL”s mandate to allow the force to sweep villages without coordinating with the Lebanese army beforehand.
The Jerusalem Post also said Israeli army officials believe that Hizbullah is not interested in a new war with Israel, but is still doing its utmost to launch an attack against a Jewish or Israeli site abroad to avenge the 2008 assassination of Hizbullah military chief Imad Mughniyeh.
"Hizbullah wants to strike us, but is concerned what our response will be if a synagogue or an embassy is attacked somewhere overseas," a defense official told the newspaper. "It is concerned that such an attack would lead to an all-out war, which is something it will want to avoid."