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Netanyahu Defends Military Presence in Southern Lebanon

Monday, June 22, 2026
5 min read
Netanyahu Defends Military Presence in Southern Lebanon

Netanyahu defended the military presence in southern Lebanon recently. He made this comparison to how the United States would react if they faced similar threats right across their own borders.

He was speaking at some public event, laying out his view. Israeli forces, he said, will stay in that security zone down there for as long as needed. It’s all about protecting Israelis from Hezbollah and those other Iran-backed groups .

“And I said something else about Lebanon,” Netanyahu repeated, adding a pause. “As long as we need to protect our people, we will remain in the security zone in South Lebanon.” That was the core of it. He argued that this wasn't just Israel’s choice. It seemed like what any country would do when armed groups were operating right on its border.

He pushed the idea by asking people to imagine something else. Imagine the United States, he suggested. Across their border, thousands of terrorists. An army of thousands pelting cities with rockets and those killer drones.

“They kill your soldiers,” he said. “They kill your citizens. They kill your children every day.” The threat is constant. It’s relentless.

The implication, he felt, was that you couldn't expect a government to just sit back when faced with this kind of pressure. What would America do? Would they just hold their fire? He seemed absolutely certain the answer wasn't inaction. You know what America would actually do.

It would cross over. Create a security zone . Kill the terrorists and protect everyone until the threat finally goes away. That’s exactly what Israel is doing right now.

This commitment, he stressed, wouldn't change. They will stay in that southern Lebanese zone for as long as it takes to guard the north and all of Israel. Nothing changes that promise.

But the talk didn't stop there. Netanyahu brought up Iran’s nuclear program too. There were renewed warnings about Tehran’s influence and those weapons they were developing. He insisted he wouldn’t let Iran get nukes, no matter what diplomatic stuff was going on. Even if negotiations failed, he said that wouldn't happen while he was Prime Minister.

Later, he argued the military campaign had some effect. It wasn't just a confrontation with Iran. He claimed Israel shattered Iran’s access to terror networks. Significant blows were dealt to groups aligned with Tehran.

This all happened while things were moving elsewhere. The US and Iran were still in talks, Switzerland stuff. Trying to find some permanent end to the whole Middle East mess.

AFP reported that a US diplomat said they expected those discussions to keep going through the night. Even with all the tension simmering over Lebanon and the big regional disaGreements. It just kept unfolding against this backdrop of constant uncertainty down there.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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