Peres: Hizbullah Turning Lebanon into “Powder Keg”
Israeli President Shimon Peres warned on Tuesday that Hizbullah was turning Lebanon into a "powder keg" after conflicting reports about a blast at a Hizbullah official”s house in Teir Felsay.
"It is not Israel that is endangering Lebanon," Israeli media quoted Peres as saying.
"Hizbullah is endangering Lebanon, just as Hamas is endangering the Palestinian issue," said Peres during the opening of the fourth Galilee convention in Kfar Blum, stressing there is no reason why there couldn”t be peace between Israel and Lebanon.
He said Lebanon "could be the Switzerland of the Middle East."
On Monday, Peres urged Israel”s hawkish government to relaunch peace negotiations with the Palestinians or risk further international criticism and isolation.
"The time has come to reach final conclusions. We cannot miss this opportunity," he said.
"If we move forward with peace and make peace with the Palestinians, and if we start negotiations with Syria and Lebanon, we will remove the main pretext for the Iranian madness — against us and against the other residents of this region," the Israeli president added.