Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu: “This Time, We are Coming to Stay in Lebanon”
In remarks delivered during his daily lesson, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu addressed IDF soldiers and called for a shift in approach on the northern border, urging not another temporary incursion but a lasting presence and an expansion of Israel’s borders.
In remarks delivered during his daily lesson, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu addressed IDF soldiers and called for a shift in approach on the northern border, urging not another temporary incursion but a lasting presence and an expansion of Israel’s borders. The Uri Tzafon movement said it was joining the call and demanding renewed Jewish settlement in southern Lebanon.
Against the backdrop of the ground maneuver in Lebanon and the expansion of fighting in the north, Rabbi Eliyahu spoke this morning about soldiers who approach him for a blessing before entering the area. In his remarks, the rabbi presented a firm view that Israel should remain in the territory rather than withdraw, tying this position to prophetic visions and the idea of expanding the country’s borders. His comments were published by the Uri Tzafon movement, which is calling on the Israeli government to adopt his position and advance settlement in southern Lebanon.
In his daily lesson, Rabbi Eliyahu said: “In recent days many soldiers have come to me, young men, who told me they are about to enter Lebanon and asked for a blessing. So we want to bless them, all of us, the entire people of Israel, all the soldiers, that God should protect them and that they should do their job in Lebanon. The prophet prophesies and says that Lebanon needs to be turned into a plain. All of this comes from their arrogance, that they raised a hand against the One who spoke and created the world. They considered themselves wiser than Him.”
“This is a prophecy of Ezekiel, and now the soldiers are going to carry it out. Unlike every other time we were in Lebanon, when we came in order to leave, this time we are coming in order to stay. And you shall inherit it and dwell in it. May it be God’s will that we truly merit this, that we merit to expand the borders of our land to where they are meant to be,” he added.
The Uri Tzafon movement welcomed the rabbi’s remarks and reinforced the message. According to the group, “The words of Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu express a clear and faith-driven voice that understands that the security reality requires a deep shift in approach. No more temporary operations, but a long-term hold on the territory. The time has come to renew Jewish settlement in southern Lebanon. We call on the government to adopt this approach and act decisively to realize this vision.”