Veteran Lebanese journalist Nadim Koteich said in an April 6 interview with Al-Jadeed/New TV that he doesn't care that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's domestic policies are oppressive toward Palestinians and that, as a Lebanese citizen, he cares most about Israel's policies on Iran.
Koteich said Iran is playing a destructive role in Lebanon and in the region. He added that Beirut and Lebanon are his top priorities and that for him, Beirut is more important than Jerusalem or the Golan Heights.
"Under no circumstances am I willing to pay the price for the Golan Heights," he said.
I'm not American, so I do not focus on Trump's domestic policies. Is he anti-women? Is he anti-homosexuals? From a general moral perspective, I support [former U.S. President Barack] Obama, but as far as my interests are concerned, I support Trump regardless of his domestic policies. The same is true for Israel," he said.
"I'm not Israeli, and I don't care about their domestic policies. So if Netanyahu's economic policies – and by the way, I'm not Palestinian, either – if Netanyahu's policy towards the Palestinians is oppressive, which it is, it is only my second or third priority. My No. 1 priority is what Netanyahu is doing vis-à-vis Iran. I consider Iran to be playing a destructive role in the region, included in Lebanon. Netanyahu's [anti-Iranian] policy is welcomed warmly by the Arabs, despite the other differences they have with him. It's no longer black and white."
As a Lebanese citizen, Koteich said that "under no circumstances am I willing to pay the prices for the Golan Heights. … Jerusalem is not more important than Beirut. The Golan is not more important than Beirut."
He said, "The problem I have with Israel as a state is no different from the problem between Mexico and the Americans.
Asked in response if Mexican planes enter American airspace on daily basis, Koteich replied, "That's another issue. That has to do with the Israeli-Iranian conflict, and it has nothing to do with Lebanon."
