Dermer: War on northern border could be just ‘weeks’ away

Israel’s Ambassador to the US says chances of conflict with Iranian proxies in the near future is ‘higher than people think.’

By Tod Polon, INN

The chances of war on Israel’s northern border could be “weeks” away, according to Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer.

In an interview on Monday with Politico touching on a wide range of issues, Dermer said that the chances of a military conflict taking place in the near future between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group were “higher than people think because of Iran’s continued push through the region.”

“If Iran is not rolled back in Syria, then the chances of military confrontation are growing. I don’t want to tell you by the year or by the month. I’d say even by the week,” Dermer assessed.

He explained that Iran was creating an escalation in tensions on Israel’s northern border, “because the more they push, we have to enforce our red lines, and you always have the prospects of an escalation, even when parties don’t want an escalation, because we will not allow Iran to establish that presence and establish another terror front against Israel in Syria.”

“So in taking action to defend ourselves, you don’t know what could happen.”

Dermer also said he did not think that US recognition of Jerusalem would hamper future peace agreements with the PA.

“On the contrary; I think it will actually lay a cornerstone for peace because what it says is that under any peace agreement in the future, Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel. That’s clear. If somebody could show me any kind of peace plan that doesn’t have Jerusalem be capital of Israel, I’d like to see it. Every single peace plan that’s ever been put down has Jerusalem be a capital of Israel.

“I think the message that it will send to the Palestinians is, ‘Hey, wake up. Understand that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. You have to deal with that reality.’”