00:00The Middle East may be entering a new diplomatic phase, but the road to peace remains steeply
00:05uncertain. In Lebanon, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is under growing strain,
00:11with disagreements over Israel's military presence in the south, threatening to reignite tensions.
00:17At the same time, Washington and Tehran are attempting to transform a temporary truce
00:22into a broader agreement that could reshape the region's security architecture.
00:27So, can the current negotiations deliver lasting stability? And what does that mean for Israel's
00:33security? Let's discuss this with Ailon Levy, a former Israeli government spokesman who joins us
00:39from Tel Aviv. Good morning, sir. So, if Washington reaches a broader understanding with Tehran,
00:46would Israel view that as an opportunity to reduce regional tensions? Or is there a fear that Iran is
00:53just trying to buy time and preserve its influence across the Middle East?
00:57The Iranian regime is trying to rebuild its network of proxy armies in the Middle East right now,
01:02and that's why Israel is warning that the direct U.S.-Iran talks threatened to derail the fragile
01:09peace process between Israel and Lebanon itself. Israel's ambassador to the U.S. this week warning,
01:14we're heading for a train wreck. Israel and Lebanon were already negotiating directly as two
01:20sovereign states. They had already agreed that any ceasefire would be contingent on a complete
01:25cessation of Hezbollah fire and Hezbollah's withdrawal north of the Letani River. And the
01:32Islamic Republic of Iran swooping in now, trying to be a protector of Lebanon, playing a role the
01:38Lebanese government does not want because it wants to get rid of the Iranian influence, is throwing a
01:44spanner in the works. And so this is a very dangerous development now. There had been a direct
01:49peace process between the sides. That is now being derailed. As Lebanon is looking at the United States
01:55and begging them, please don't sell us back to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. We want to be free
02:01from Iranian influence, not let them dictate terms here. For years, Israel has argued that Iran and its
02:08network of proxies are the main source of instability in the region. Are we now witnessing the beginning
02:14of a new regional order? Or do you believe the fundamental security threats facing Israel remain
02:21unchanged? The Iranian axis is far weaker than it was on the eve of Hamas's October 7th massacre and
02:29the regional war that it sparked. But the Iranian regime is trying to rebuild that. And if this war ends
02:35with an American withdrawal from the region, if it allows the Iranians to charge tolls on the Strait
02:40of Hormuz, if it lets them rebuild their ballistic missiles, then Gulf countries that were thinking
02:46of making peace with Israel are going to be looking over their shoulders and trying to reach accommodations
02:51with the Iranian regime. That is the threat at this current moment, that instead of intensifying a
02:57positive peace process between Israel and its Arab neighbors, they're now going to be spooked by a
03:03resurgent Islamic Republic of Iran. And they're going to want to cut deals to continue to appease it in
03:09the hope that in the future, it won't attack them with drones and missiles like it did during Operation
03:14Epic Fury. And Elon, on Lebanon, one more. Israel says it must maintain freedom of action against
03:22Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. But critics warn that continued military operations risk destabilizing the
03:29ceasefire. How can Israel guarantee its security without pushing Lebanon back towards conflict?
03:36Israel wants Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah itself. But the Lebanese government has been either unable or
03:42unwilling to do so. The previous war ended in November 2024 with a ceasefire that was meant to see
03:48Lebanon pull Hezbollah north of the Letani River. That just never happened. Hezbollah continued
03:54re-arming. And so Israel's defensive campaign against Hezbollah now is creating the urgency and
04:00the opportunity for the Lebanese government to do something that it's been desperately trying not to
04:05do. And that is to directly confront the militia that takes its orders from the Islamic Revolutionary
04:11Guard Corps. And the day that Lebanon is able to dismantle Hezbollah will be the first day of a
04:16beautiful peace between Israel and Lebanon. All right, Ailon Levy, former Israeli government spokesman.
04:22Thank you very much, sir, for your time this morning. Thank you.
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