Fmr. Kiryat Shmona Mayor : ‘I demand war. Biden’s envoy is an angel of destruction
Prosper Azran tells Arutz Sheva that the only way to restore peace in his city is to fight a war against Hezbollah and rejects any talk of a diplomatic solution.
Former Kiryat Shmona Mayor Prosper Azran refuses to leave Israel’s northernmost city despite it being nearly empty as a result of Hezbollah’s bombardments. In an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, he speaks about his feelings during the war.
At the beginning of the interview, Azran recounts how the windows in his house broke from the force of the explosions in the city and that he had to replace them with wood. “After three weeks, I found someone to fix my windows, and let’s not even talk about the two cars that were rendered useless forever. I just exemplify those whose houses were damaged and can’t come here.”
He explains why he chose to stay in the city despite the heavy bombardment: “I stay here so all those in central Israel can live. For that reason there are people in Judea and Samaria, for that reason there were people in what was called the Gaza envelope – they were inside (Gaza) and they were kicked out, and because of that (Hamas) slaughtered and raped in the south. We are here to be a safety belt for the State of Israel.”
When asked what Israel needs to do now to Hezbollah to stop the attacks, Azran answers: “At this stage I demand war. We were told by the Prime Minister that we’re at war, but we’ve discovered that it’s only an operation. What’s the difference? During a war the entire nation is enlisted, including the blind and deaf, to help, of course, all of the soldiers, anyone who can carry a weapon. The older ones will guard the communities and the young will fight.”
Azran rejects a diplomatic solution with Lebanon. “When I see Biden’s envoy (Amos Hochstein), that’s another angel of destruction who comes to Israel to represent the American interest. What’s his interest? To stop the war or the operation in Gaza? Is that in the interest of someone who’s against terrorism? We see how we allow terrorism to get stronger around the world.”