Leak: Israel supported Hariri’s resignation

Israel’s Channel 10 has published a leaked cable sent from the Israeli foreign ministry to all Israeli ambassadors calling on them to support Saudi efforts and rally support for the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The classified cable urged the diplomats to appeal to the highest officials within their host countries to attempt to expel Hezbollah from the Lebanese government and politics.

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Hariri’s resignation as a wake-up call for the international community to take action against what he called “the Iranian enemy”.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Hariri’s resignation confirms what Israel had warned a year ago, that Hezbollah is occupying Lebanon. “The Israeli army is ready to face the threat posed by the Iran-led alliance,” he added.

Read: Iran says resignation of Lebanese PM will create tension in region

Later, Israeli Minister of Intelligence Yisrael Katz wrote on Twitter: “Hariri’s resignation in Lebanon is a crossroads. Now is the time to press and isolate Hezbollah until it is weakened and disarmed.”

On Saturday, Hariri announced his resignation during a visit to Saudi Arabia and launched a scathing attack against Iran and Hezbollah, saying the current atmosphere in Lebanon is similar to the one that preceded the assassination of his father, Rafic Hariri.

Adviser to the Iranian foreign affairs minister, Hussein Sheikh Al-Islam, said the Lebanese prime minister’s resignation reflects lack of wisdom and does not bode well for the country, adding that it came upon the orders of US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.