Dore Gold: Let UNIFIL clean out Lebanon

President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and former foreign ministry director-general Dr. Dore Gold called on the UN Security Council to act in accordance with Resolution 1701 to seize illegal weapons held by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

“There are about 200 Shi’ite villages in southern Lebanon,” Gold said during a lecture at the Hudson Institute in Washington. “Many residents have prohibited weapons in their homes. They accept payment for it or are simply too frightened to refuse the terrorists’ request.”

Gold criticized the Security Council for not condemning Hezbollah, despite the organization having acted in contradiction to the Council’s 2006 decision, saying that he did not believe they would do so in the future.

Last month the IDF uncovered an observation post used by Hezbollah under the guise of the fictitious environmental NGO “Green Without Borders,” the sixth such post detected in recent years.

“I hope that none of those criticizing Israel’s warfare need to face this dilemma, but it is part of our responsibility as a country, and especially as a Jewish country,” Gold said.

In his speech to the Council in September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of shielding its massive missile stockpiles behind civilian buildings.

Michael Wilner and Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.