Israel first openly admitted about a week ago, from Defense Minister Bnei Gantz, that it had offered direct assistance to the Lebanese army four times, in view of its difficult situation.
The proposals could be exciting if Lebanon was not the same country we know.
It is not clear why, after the Lebanese refusal to accept the first proposal, Israel finds it necessary to offer it three more times.
Further proposals will not change the reality, nor will Lebanon's response.
I'll start from the end.
The Lebanese army will not be able to receive direct financial assistance from us, because it is simply not allowed to.
The Americans are taking care to equip the Lebanese army to strengthen it.
They do not offer direct financial aid because there is a government in Beirut that is decisive regarding its army.
The Lebanese army is no longer an ethnic group that can turn to donors to help it, as Hezbollah, for example, as a community and as an organization, does with Iran.
When the Lebanese Foreign Ministry turned to ambassadors around the world and asked them to contact donors to help with the continued existence of the missions and their functioning, America refused knowing that this was forbidden.
Washington secretly believes that a strong Lebanese army is the only one that can face Hezbollah during a test, but is wrong. The army is headed by General Joseph Aoun, known for his lack of sympathy for Israel. The Lebanese army is unable to implement Security Council Resolution 1701, which states that only it will be present south of the Litani River opposite Israel. We all know that the reality is different, and the army ignores Hezbollah's violations which it has been banned from being on the ground. There are even reports that Aoun indirectly assists the terrorist organization. And to this army Israel offers help.
In the coming months, there will be general elections for the Lebanese parliament, as well as presidential elections.
Can the Lebanese army expose itself to harsh criticism of the aid it receives from the "Zionist entity"?
Its main function is to maintain order and prevent conflicts between the various denominations.
How will the current Lebanese government approve aid from Israel and expose itself to a weakness that is difficult to break free from?
Why do we have to repeat the same offer four times that makes us laugh?
It has been said that the Lebanese people are not our enemy.
But Lebanon is a mosaic of different testimonies, each of which has a different position regarding Israel.
It will also be recalled that the same Lebanese army disbanded in the 1975 civil war, and each general joined the community to which he belonged.
The question arises as to what purpose the Lebanese army should be strengthened.
Is it to improve his living conditions, or prepare him in case of a confrontation with Hezbollah?
In both cases our place is not there.
If Israel wants to help effectively, it can raise the issue of demarcation of the maritime border between the two countries to a high priority with the United States. This will allow Beirut to produce gas from the sea and thereby increase revenue to the state coffers.
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