Israel’s far-right finance minister boasts of army’s destruction of Lebanese infrastructure Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has defended Israel’s agreement with Lebanon by openly saying the Israeli military continues to control territory inside the country. Smotrich said the army “controls a security strip in Lebanon” and is “deepening the destruction of infrastructure along its length and breadth above and below ground”. His comments underline Israel’s refusal to withdraw from Lebanese territory and its continued destruction inside the country despite diplomatic efforts.