Lebanese Leader Michel Aoun on the Possibility of Peace with Israel

The following are excerpts from an interview with former Lebanese PM General Michel Aoun, which aired on Dubai TV on July 3, 2005.

Interviewer: Israel poses a real threat, General. Israel is a real threat.

Michel Aoun: A real threat, but Egypt made peace with Israel. The Palestinians are discussing peace with Israel. The Arab countries... Tunisia has made peace with Israel.

Interviewer: Do you want to make peace with Israel?

Michel Aoun: Let me finish. King Abdullah or Jordan... and Jordan made peace with Israel. They have all made peace, and the peace process continues, whether we like it or not. Lebanon, which has been resisting for 35 years, cannot continue to resist Israel all by itself. It cannot go against the general Arab trend. It cannot tolerate this anymore. The Arab countries, if we sum up the two wars – the Six-Day War and the 12 or 14 day war of 1973 – fought for 20 days. We have suffered from instability from 1937 [sic] to this day. There is no stability or peace on our border. We are paying the price with continuous economic damage because we are taking the path of resistance. We no longer have the right to make decisions on behalf of all the Arabs, and on behalf of all the Muslims, about the liberation of Jerusalem and Palestine. We want more solidarity. Why should we be the only ones... I'm not calling for peace. We will be the last to sign a peace agreement with Israel. We will be the last to sign a peace agreement with Israel, but the war will not depend upon us alone.