'Colossal failure': Northern moshav head slams Lebanon ceasefire, Netanyahu, for lack of security

“This is a scandalous agreement. We never imagined we’d see the day when we’d have to sign such an agreement and return home under these conditions," said Eitan Davidi, the head of Moshav Margaliot in northern Israel. Davidi also expressed strong criticism of the ceasefire with Hezbollah, warning that Israel is not adequately protecting the residents of the North against future threats during an interview with Nissim Mishal and Natalie Shem Tov on Radio 103FM on Thursday.

"For years, we watched Hezbollah observing us, aiming their weapons at us. We thought we were heading into war. I consistently said that we would give the government all the time it needed to resolve the situation in the South, secure the release of the hostages, and bring us back home safely.”

Davidi emphasized his community’s longstanding requests for increased safety measures, noting, “We repeatedly requested that the distance between us and the villages where Hezbollah terrorists live in Lebanon be extended to two or three kilometers. Everyone, including the military, told us this proximity couldn’t continue. We tried to coexist peacefully for 18 years, but it didn’t work—they rearmed themselves in unprecedented ways."

"The situation with Hezbollah wasn’t inevitable. We could have crushed them more effectively. I’ve been to those villages myself. The Israeli government is ruining everything. So why did we enter Lebanon? What is this victory in the North? How many terrorists did we kill? How many villages did we destroy? Our victory should have been ensuring residents can return home safely. If everyone says they don’t feel secure returning home and don’t want to go back, what does that say about the Israeli government?”

Davidi expressed deep frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating, “I don’t trust the prime minister in anything he does—everything he touches fails. As long as the hostages aren’t with us, this is a resounding failure of the government. [Netanyahu] says, ‘We will respond to every violation,’ but for 18 years — 14 of them under Netanyahu — we bought time at an exorbitant cost."

'Like sheep to the slaughter'

"The government gave Hezbollah a second chance. We needed a buffer zone that would have provided us with peace, but the government didn’t deliver, and it has failed in every respect. This is a colossal failure. It’s leading us to a fourth Lebanon war and to the disintegration of northern communities. Within two years, these communities will no longer maintain their current character.”

In a stark warning to residents of northern Israel, Davidi said, “Don’t go back. They’re sending us like sheep to the slaughter. Be careful. If the Radwan Force enters the North, the lucky ones will be killed outright.”