in Paris, visiting Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Lebanon will be held accountable for all activity carried out on its territory, including that of Hezbollah. The two heads of state met at the Elysée Palace for talks that focused, among others, on the Iranian presence in Lebanon and Tehran’s attempts to operate against Israel through its Lebanese-proxy Hezbollah. The French President stated, “We discussed Iran and I repeat that we consider we have to continue the dialogue to be able to control their ballistic activity, have more visibility to contain their nuclear activity and have a dialogue that makes it possible to contain Iran’s regional ambitions. And on this front I have obviously repeated our full support to President Rivlin.”
President Rivlin underscored to his French counterpart that “If (Israel) are threatened from Lebanon, (Jerusalem) will not stand by,” and that “Lebanon bears sovereign responsibility for all Hezbollah actions.” He added that “”Israel cannot accept and will never accept these precision missiles which have only one target: Israeli citizens. If we are threatened by Lebanon, we will not remain silent. Lebanon is responsible for its sovereignty and will be responsible for any activity by the Hezbollah from its ground.” The Israeli President further noted that what happens today in the Middle East does not remain confined to the region. “When radical fundamentalist forces threaten the Middle East, they also threaten Europe and the entire free world. Unfortunately, the terrorist attacks on France prove that it is not a theoretical threat, but one that demands action. That is why, Rivlin stressed, “The cooperation between the French and Israeli militaries strengthens both countries in the fight against terror and preserving regional stability.”