INTERVIEW Paris – On the 18th day of the war in the Middle East, RFI spoke to Nitzan Horowitz, journalist and former Israeli Minister of Health, who called for an end to the US-Israeli operation. In his view, strikes against Iran will not bring down the regime and a ground offensive in Lebanon would be “catastrophic”. Advertising Read more RFI: You are in Tel Aviv, one of the Israeli cities most frequently targeted by missiles and rockets fired by Iran or Hezbollah. Have you been living in fear of these attacks since the start of the war? Nitzan Horowitz: Actually, to be precise, I’m not in Tel Aviv – I live in a village situated right on the Lebanese border, in the north of the country and north of the Galilee. So I’m right on the border, which has been quite turbulent for the past two weeks. RFI: When was the last alert for you? NH: It was last night. The alert comes through on our mobile phones as well, so it’s everywhere and it happens every day, several times a day. There’s a lot of gunfire, rockets, drones, all sorts of things... warnings and so on. So that feeling that we’re in a combat zone, you really feel it every day, every hour, every minute. RFI: So you feel as though you’re in the thick of the war? NH: Absolutely, since the start of the war with Iran. In fact, it’s a two-front war, really. There’s Iran and the Iranian missiles that are hitting Israel. There’s also the war with Lebanon, that is to say with Hezbollah. And there are drones and all sorts of rockets and missiles coming from Hezbollah. Especially in the north of the country, where I live. 'War is not a video game': France gauges response to the Middle East conflict RFI: Early on Tuesday morning, the Israeli army announced a new wave of strikes on Tehran, the Iranian capital, and on Hezbollah positions in Beirut. Do you support continuing the war? NH: No. Continuing the war serves no purpose at the moment. I fully understand the idea of trying to destroy Iran’s military capabilities, especially its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. But as for the stated objective of overthrowing the regime, that’s not a realistic objective. And after two weeks of strikes and considerable damage, it’s time to find another way. As far as Iran is concerned, as far as Lebanon is concerned, that’s been very clear from the start. And a ground operation is neither desirable nor useful at all. I mean, Israel has already done this several times over the past decades. It’s not the right path. RFI: The Israeli army has announced that it has launched limited ground operations. Are you concerned about a large-scale ground offensive today? NH: Yes, absolutely. I fully understand [the desire] to remove the threats that have been hanging over us for years from Hezbollah. So, the objective is clear. But the way to achieve this solution is not to invade Lebanon by land – that is to say, to occupy southern Lebanon. We’ve already done that several times and it’s failed. So we must work with the Lebanese government. Emmanuel Macron has made a proposal that I find quite useful. France, UN push for direct talks to end hostilies between Israel and Lebanon RFI: Yes, the French president is proposing direct talks between Lebanon and Israel, which could take place in Paris. Does that seem like the right option to you? NH: Absolutely. The most effective way to disarm Hezbollah is through cooperation between Israel and the Lebanese government. And the Lebanese government also has a major interest in disarmament, the disarmament of Hezbollah. So there is a solution here to avoid a ground invasion that could be catastrophic for Lebanon as well as for Israel, and to find a way to disarm Hezbollah. RFI: We can clearly see the path you would like the Israeli government to take. But we have heard the Israeli defence minister say that the ground operation must be modelled on what was done in Gaza... NH: Yes, unfortunately since 7 October 2023 Netanyahu’s government has been acting – and acting solely – along military lines. The diplomatic route no longer exists for them. And we saw what happened in Gaza after two years of war, after a horrific humanitarian disaster, after unimaginable damage: Hamas remains in power in Gaza. So that is not the right example. If we want something different in Lebanon, we must work with the Lebanese government, which shares our interest in disarming Hezbollah, avoid launching a ground operation, and avoid destroying Beirut. 'We all need solidarity': volunteers mobilise to help Lebanon's displaced RFI: You are against continuing the war, but polls show that the majority of Israelis support the offensive against Iran. Do you feel you’re swimming against the tide? NH: No, I don’t think so. There is support amongst the Israeli public for the overthrow of the Tehran regime, of the mullahs, and to reduce and destroy the destructive capabilities of the Iranian regime – for that, yes. But what is happening on the ground is creating a great deal of controversy in Israel. In fact, people don’t agree at all with what the government is doing – above all, because the objective of overthrowing the regime isn’t a realistic one. I believe the majority of people are beginning to understand this. But, you know, this isn’t just an Israeli decision, it’s primarily an American one. RFI: Yes, this is an Israeli-American operation, Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t the only one waging war. NH: Absolutely. And it’s mainly President Trump who’s calling the shots. The line we’re hearing is that in a few days, Trump will say the war in Lebanon must stop, that it’s a 100 percent Israeli operation. RFI: Yesterday, missile debris fell in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City. Are you concerned that this conflict might escalate? NH: With Iran, I believe we have a few more days of strikes, a few more days of fighting, but no more. Perhaps a week or two. I think the major problem is Lebanon. If the Netanyahu government decides to launch a major ground operation, then we risk getting bogged down in the Lebanese quagmire. This article has been adapted from an audio interview in French by Arnaud Pontus. Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe