Phares, the foreign policy expert, also confirmed that Christian leaders in Israel have met annually with the Israeli president for decades and that “no one, including Hezbollah, has complained in the past.”
Likewise, referring to Iranian support for Hezbollah, he indicated that apparently “the orders came from Tehran” in an attempt to isolate Middle Eastern Christians from Israel.
“If this indicates anything, the threat to the Maronite bishops is the prelude to a campaign by Hezbollah to intimidate and marginalize Lebanon’s Christians, in the midst of a regional war. “Hezbollah wants to sideline the community by cracking down on its leaders, including the Maronite Patriarch,” he expressed.
When asked if the government will investigate the two bishops, Phares noted: “It is a difficult decision for the ‘Lebanese Judiciary’, even though it is under the influence of Hezbollah.”