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Israeli Syriac Maronite Shadi Khalloul urges Lebanese Christian border towns to seek annexation by Israel
Israeli Syriac Maronite Shadi Khalloul urges Lebanese Christian border towns to seek annexation by Israel
08/07/2026TEL AVIV — Shadi Khalloul, a retired Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officer originally from Lebanon and president of the Galilee Aramaic Center, has called on Christian communities along Lebanon’s southern border to seek annexation by Israel, arguing that such a move would provide greater security than remaining under what he described as Lebanon’s failing political system and the influence of Hezbollah.
Speaking in an interview with i24NEWS, Khalloul responded to remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that residents of several Christian villages in southern Lebanon had expressed interest in becoming part of Israel.
Khalloul, who served in the former Israeli-backed security zone in southern Lebanon, said Netanyahu’s remarks were not surprising. He identified several predominantly Syriac Maronite villages near the Israeli border — including Kle’a, Marjayoun, Rmeish, Debel, and Ain Ebel — as communities that, in his view, continue to face threats from Hezbollah despite avoiding direct involvement in the recent conflict.
‘As a Maronite, I urge Lebanese Christian towns to call for annexation by Israel. It is much better to live in Israel as a Christian than under Hezbollah terrorists and hostile Shia communities.’
@Nicole_Zedeck #MiddleEastNow pic.twitter.com/jGIimO7TgK
— Shadi khalloul שאדי ח’לול (@shadikhalloul) July 7, 2026
According to Khalloul, local officials and clergy have previously warned that if the Lebanese state and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were to withdraw from the area while Israeli forces remained, residents might be left with no option but to seek Israeli protection.
“We heard officials from those towns, including priests, warning that if the Lebanese government abandoned the area and they were left under Israeli control, they would have no choice but to ask Israel for help,” he said.
Khalloul argued that Israel would likely maintain its military presence in parts of southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, making the security of nearby communities an Israeli responsibility. He compared the situation to Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, saying the precedent demonstrated how Israel could extend sovereignty over strategically significant border areas.
“It is much better to live under Israel than under a failed state threatened by Hezbollah,” Khalloul said, adding that, as a Syriac Maronite himself, he would encourage residents of those villages to request annexation by Israel.
During the interview, the i24NEWS host asked whether such proposals could reinforce Hezbollah’s longstanding narrative that the group exists to defend Lebanon from Israeli territorial ambitions.
Khalloul rejected that argument, contending that Hezbollah has historically intimidated and oppressed Christian communities in southern Lebanon. He cited the killing of a political activist from Ain Ebel, whom he said had been targeted because of his affiliation with the Lebanese Forces, a Christian political party opposed to Hezbollah.
He also referred to historical sectarian tensions in southern Lebanon, arguing that many Christians continue to fear reprisals because of past violence and ongoing political divisions.
“As a Maronite like them, I would call on them to seek annexation by Israel,” Khalloul said. “It is much better to live under Israel as Christians than under Hezbollah’s terror.”
Israel has not announced any formal policy to annex territory in southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese government has consistently rejected any violation of its sovereignty. Hezbollah, for its part, maintains that its armed presence is intended to resist Israeli military actions along the border.