IDF withdrawal beyond the yellow line in Lebanon would amount to a failure, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said in an interview with 103FM on Wednesday.
Chikli also warned Iran against attacking Israel after Tehran threatened to strike if the IDF continued operating in Lebanon, and criticized US President Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
“If we withdraw from the yellow line, I will be the first to say that we failed. I say that clearly, without hesitation,” Chikli said firmly. “If we retreat back to the blue line, that will be a failure in my eyes.”
According to the minister, “Our forces are deep inside the territory. I am not saying we need to hold every area we are currently in. We are in the Tebnin area, on the outskirts of Nabatieh, but we need to make sure we are positioned at those strategic points within Lebanese territory."
"One thing is clear and simple, as is happening in the Gaza Strip," he said. "We must not again defend Metula from an outpost that is inside Metula.”
“Israel’s condition, militarily and strategically, is incomparably stronger than Iran’s. Our achievements have not been erased, even if there is eventually an agreement,” he added.
Chikli: Trump moving towards bad deal for Israel has made things difficult
Regarding the negotiations with Tehran led by the Trump administration, Chikli expressed deep concern about the involvement of regional countries.
“The emerging agreement is troubling,” he said. “Less troubling to me than the rebuilding of Iran’s economy is the axis that drafted the agreement: Qatar, Turkey, and Pakistan. What we are seeing before our eyes is the rise of a new axis, a dangerous, radical Sunni axis of evil like no other.”
When questioned about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s relations with the US president and asked where Israel stood when this axis was taking shape, Chikli said that the matter should be looked at from a "broad historical perspective."
“The fact that Trump is now moving toward a deal that is bad for the State of Israel does not erase the lifting of the embargo that made things difficult for us, the embassy in Jerusalem, and the Abraham Accords," Chikli said, "However, Trump is being captivated by the strong influence Qatar and Turkey have. He has a blind spot when it comes to what drives Erdogan.”
Chikli criticizes Witkoff, Kushner
When the discussion turned to Trump’s associates, Witkoff and Kushner, and the harsh criticism leveled at them by Israeli media figures, Chikli chose to distance himself from the tone.
“These nicknames are unnecessary, but there is room for criticism of them,” he explained. “At the heart of this blind spot, those two are key players. There is confusion between interests that may be American economic interests and other interests, and the ability to put on ideological glasses and understand the scale of the danger posed by the Muslim Brotherhood movement.”