The Lobby 1701 organization, representing 60,000 residents of northern Israel who were evacuated from their homes, issued a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and the head of the U.S. National Security Council, demanding that Israel be allowed to ensure the return of the displaced residents to their homes, either through diplomatic means or via a military operation to remove threats against their lives.
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“We speak in the name of the 60,000 residents of northern Israel who were evacuated from their homes and have been turned into refugees in our own land,” according to the letter sent on Monday. “We call on President Biden to give its full support to the government of Israel to act with the necessary force and means to promise our safety and security.”
Their appeal comes amid reports that the U.S. government is preventing an Israeli military move on the northern border meant to ensure the security of the residents in the Galilee communities.
At the same time, efforts are underway in the U.S. to formulate a diplomatic solution to the northern border that doesn’t include Hezbollah’s withdrawal beyond the Litani River as proscribed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and still assure the residents that they will be able to return to their homes safely.
Lobby 1701 is a civilian organization of Israeli residents living along the Lebanon border who were evacuated from their homes over 80 days ago when Hezbollah began firing rockets at the north ion tandem with the rockets fired from Gaza at southern and central Israel. They are now exerting pressure on the government to bring about a change in the northern border by establishing a demilitarized zone in Lebanon and pushing Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations beyond the Litani River.
In their letter to senior government and security officials in Washington, the residents noted: "We all witnessed the horrific massacre committed on October 7th by Hamas terrorists against innocent civilians in the south of Israel. Since October 7th Hezbollah has put an end to our daily lives here in northern Israel. Because of their daily missiles and UAV attacks that target our homes and communities, and the threat of many more, we were unwillingly forced to evacuate.”
“For 17 years we have had to bear witness to how ineffective by UNSCR 1701 is in the face of reality. Hezbollah never acted in accordance with the resolution and openly established military positions on the border - feet away from our homes. Meanwhile, UNIFIL has been providing a false sense of security, while allowing Hezbollah to rearm, prepare and plan its invasion into Israel. This has proven especially true over the past three years,” the letter added.
Lobby 1701 believes that there’s no realistic chance of dealing with Hezbollah through diplomatic means.
"If Lebanon is unable to properly implement UNSCR 1701 to the extent that we deserve and demand, to provide a basic sense of security, we will relentlessly pressure our government to solve this issue through military means, and we request your full support. This is not a threat, nor is it a warning," they emphasize. "This is an urgent call for action to the international community to prevent the next massacre.”
In addition, they write: "No country could accept this current situation, in which a neighboring terrorist organization calls for its destruction and fires towards its citizens. Nor would any father or mother put their children at risk in such a threatening environment. Therefore, we feel certain that you understand why we can't return home to the status quo on October 6th and attempt to live a normal life while enduring this threat. The horrific images of October 7th warn us of the future waiting for us if we do."