Lebanese Politician Serge Dagher Congratulates Israel On Its Victory: Israel Achieved All Its Objectives; Hizbullah Dragged Lebanon Into A War In October 2023 In Support Of Gaza Just Because 'Monsieur Sinwar' Decided To Launch An Attack On Israel

In a November 26, 2024 interview on Lebanon Files on YouTube, Serge Dagher, Secretary-General of the Kataeb Party, congratulated Israel on its victory, stating that it had achieved its objectives by pushing Hizbullah beyond the Litani River and ensuring Hizbullah would not replenish its weapons. Dagher criticized Hizbullah for escalating tensions, claiming that Resolution 1701 could have been implemented peacefully, but Hizbullah chose to "pay the full price." He further explained that in October 2023, Hizbullah dragged Lebanon into war with Israel in support of Gaza, following Sinwar’s decision to launch a war, making clear that Israel’s actions were not unwarranted. Dagher added that had Israel launched an unprovoked attack, Hizbullah could have acted as a resistance movement, but preferably, Hizbullah should have simply enlisted in the Lebanese army to defend the country.

Serge Dagher: "When a war ends, it is a good thing."

Interviewer: "Right."

Dagher: "Usually, one should congratulate the victor, so I think Israel should be congratulated first, because..."

Interviewer: "What are you saying? That Israel won?"

Dagher: "It is not that I'm saying this. Israel declared its goals from the start. It said that it wanted Hizbullah to pull back beyond the Litani River, and it happened. It said that it did not want Hizbullah to replenish its weapons, so it would not be able to do the same thing again in a few years. Now it received these guarantees. They talk about a committee that would oversee [the ceasefire]. By an ironic twist of fate, Hizbullah agrees to a committee, headed by the Americans, and in order to decide who is for and who is against [something], it will include the Germans, the British, and the French. Can you believe this? Hizbullah receives its guarantees from the U.S. in the committee, and in the negotiations, from Hochstein, the American Jew, who served in the Israeli army. I believe that it cannot get more far-fetched than this. We could have implemented Resolution 1701 free of charge, but Hizbullah insisted on paying the price in full.

[...]

"We started a war in October 2023, in support of Gaza, just because Monsieur Sinwar decided to launch a war. It is not that we were doing nothing, and Israel attacked us, so we have no choice but to defend ourselves. If we were doing nothing, and out of the blue, Israel invaded Lebanon, and you would say that you want to act like a resistance movement, I'd say 'bravo.' Even though this is not your job... It's the job of the Lebanese army, and you can always enlist. That's another thing. But just because Sinwar decided to start a war, you dragged us into that war, and you tell me that if Iran is attacked... What’s the big deal? So what if Iran is attacked? What does it have to do with you? Or with me?"