Washington Cancels Visit of Lebanese Army Chief Due to Verbal Attack on Israel

SadaNews - Lebanese media revealed that the visit of Army Chief General Rudolph Hela to Washington, scheduled for today, has been canceled due to the recent statement from the Lebanese army that attacked Israel.

MTV reported that the US administration canceled all meetings planned for today for the army chief and that the Lebanese embassy in Washington canceled the reception that had been prepared in his honor, revealing that "the direct reason for canceling the visit is the American objection to the recent statement of the Lebanese army, which was used, according to the administration, to blame Israel and consider it the problem, while not blaming Hezbollah, at a time when Israel is seen as a key ally of the United States, which provides the most support to the Lebanese military institution."

It further stated that "this statement sparked anger among several prominent members of Congress and opened an internal debate regarding the future of assistance to Lebanon," indicating that the file and what happened was immediately referred to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and it is now under his responsibility within the State Department and the relevant committees, due to his central role in reshaping American policy towards Lebanon, especially regarding military assistance.

It added: "The continuation of cooperation with the Lebanese army is now directly linked to its positions in the upcoming phase, particularly regarding borders and the disarmament of Hezbollah, and that any statement that contradicts US policy towards Israel will immediately affect the level of relations and support."

In this context, Republican Senator Joni Ernst wrote on the "X" platform: "I am disappointed by this statement issued by the Lebanese army. The Lebanese army is a strategic partner, and as I discussed with the Chief of Staff in August, Israel has given Lebanon a real opportunity to free itself from Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists. Instead of seizing this opportunity and working together to disarm Hezbollah, the Chief of Staff blames Israel, which is shameful."

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham reposted the post and commented on his "X" account: "It is clear that the Chief of Staff of the Lebanese army - due to labeling Israel as an enemy and his weak and almost nonexistent efforts to disarm Hezbollah - represents a significant setback to efforts to move Lebanon forward. This combination makes the Lebanese armed forces a poor investment for America."

The Lebanese army issued a statement on November 16, stating: "The Israeli enemy insists on its violations of Lebanese sovereignty, causing instability in Lebanon and obstructing the completion of the army's deployment in the south."

It added: "The latest condemned assault was targeting a UNIFIL patrol. The army leadership emphasizes that it is working in coordination with friendly nations to put an end to the ongoing violations and breaches by the Israeli enemy, which necessitates immediate action as they represent a dangerous escalation."

The Israeli army acknowledged that its forces fired at two members of "UNIFIL" in southern Lebanon after mistakenly identifying their affiliation due to bad weather conditions.

Meanwhile, UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardil confirmed that the Israeli attacks on international forces raise significant concern.