The Zionist Federation of Australia has hailed the new Israel–Lebanon framework agreement as a key chance for Lebanon to claw back sovereignty and loosen Hezbollah’s stranglehold on the country.
Under the deal, Beirut has pledged to reassert state authority nationwide, including by disarming Hezbollah – a move that, if carried out, is being sold as a security boost for both Lebanese and Israelis.
ZFA president Jeremy Leibler said the accord rests on what he called a blunt reality. “There can be no lasting security while an Iranian‑backed terrorist organisation operates as a state within a state,” he said.
“For decades, Hezbollah has undermined Lebanon’s democracy, crippled its economy and repeatedly attacked Israeli civilians. The Lebanese people deserve better,” Leibler said, arguing that the group, not ordinary Lebanese, is Israel’s adversary.
“Israel’s conflict has never been with the Lebanese people. It has been with Hezbollah,” he said. “A sovereign Lebanon, with one government and one army, would be a positive development for both countries.”
ZFA chief executive Alon Cassuto urged world capitals to swing in behind the deal, framing it as a test of Lebanon’s ability to reassert control. “This is a chance for Lebanon to reclaim full control of its own territory. The international community should back that effort,” he said.
Cassuto warned that the agreement will stand or fall on whether Hezbollah is actually stripped of its arsenal and the Lebanese state can enforce its writ across the country. “The agreement will ultimately be judged by whether Hezbollah is disarmed and the Lebanese Government is able to exercise its authority across the country,” he said.
“If this agreement helps end Hezbollah’s military presence in southern Lebanon, it will make both Israelis and Lebanese safer,” Cassuto added.