US senators warn of Israel’s sabre-rattling

The Israelis are beating the drums of war again, US Senator Lindsey Graham has warned. The Republican politician delivered this stark message following his recent visit to Israel.

Speaking to reporters, Graham spoke about the sabre-rattling of Israeli officials he met during his tour. “Any time you leave a meeting where the major request is ‘ammunition, ammunition, ammunition,’ that’s probably not good,” he said. “This was the most unnerving trip I’ve had in a while.”

The South Carolina Senator suggested that a full scale war between Israel and the Iranian proxy Hezbollah in South Lebanon is on the cards. According to the Washington Examiner, Graham is “deeply concerned.”

Senator Graham relayed Israel’s assessment of the growing threat posed by Hezbollah. “They’ve told us in no uncertain terms that if this threat continues — they keep making rockets that can hit the airport and do a lot of damage to the state of Israel — they are going to have to go in.”

Read: Hezbollah says US must accept Lebanon’s demands over Israel border dispute

Graham’s Democrat counterpart, Senator Chris Coons, who accompanied him on the trip to Israel, discussed the regional dynamics during the press briefing. “The tempo, in terms of the potential for conflict in Syria, has gone up,” he explained. Attempting to put Graham’s warning into context, he pointed out that the regional dynamic has put pressure on Israel to act.

Both Senators went on to blame President Donald Trump and his European allies for taking their eyes off Hezbollah as they attempt to neutralise the threat posed by Daesh.