Israeli defense minister: Wider war possible

Ben-Eliezer says only a political solution will bring peace to the region.

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Israeli defense minister on Monday accused militant group Hezbollah of trying to heighten tensions in the region and said that a wider regional war is possible.

"The one who [tries] every day to escalate the situation is Hezbollah," Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told CNN about the group listed by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. "They cannot do that without the blessing of Syria."

Asked if that means the war could spill over the borders of Israel and the Palestinian territories, he said, "Potentially, yes. If they continue."

Ben-Eliezer said he had been working to "isolate that and to respond locally and not to let this happening go for more escalation."

Hezbollah's stated objective was to drive all "occupying" forces out of Lebanon. Hezbollah is also devoted to establishing an Iran-style Islamic state in Lebanon, according to the U.S. State Department.

Ben-Eliezer said the Israelis' strategy "is to try to destroy, as much as possible, the terror infrastructure, anyplace, anywhere."

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The defense minister said that mission would probably cause his troops to enter all Palestinian territories, but only for a few weeks. He said they would pull back after reducing the terror infrastructure.

Ultimately, though, only a political solution can solve the problem, he said.

"As a military man, also as a minister of defense, I do not believe that there is any possibility through military that we can reach anything."

Still, the actions his forces are taking are necessary, he said. "You cannot just sit and say to [Palestinian leader Yasser] Arafat, 'Thank you for the very often massacres that happen every day.'

"I have to guarantee the security of my people. I have to guarantee the security of our kids."

Ben-Eliezer reiterated statements made by others in the Israeli military that the Israelis do not want to harm Arafat. "We want to keep him alive. Why? We don't think this is the way to deal, although I realize that he's the troublemaker."

Simply isolating Arafat will not solve the problem either, he said, "but it might reduce [it]. ... By disconnecting Arafat from the other organizations maybe there is a slight possibility the situation will be reduced."

The defense minister predicted it would take at least a week to determine whether Israel's attempt to crack down on Palestinians can halt the spate of suicide bombings that has wracked the nation.

"I think, in terms of time, we need one week, two weeks' time to see what will be the consequences."

Even separating Israelis from Palestinians would not end the bombings, he said.

"I don't think this would really close the way for those who want really to penetrate to Israel. We have to work very, very hard.

"Simultaneously, we have to convince the Palestinian people as much as possible that our intention was and still [is] to live with them together, to coexist with them together, for a better future for the kids."

The defense minister said he supports the Saudi peace proposal under which the Israelis would pull back to pre-1967 borders as a basis for a deal.

But, he said, "I am one of the few here in the country" who have accepted the proposal in principle.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not one of them. Should their divergent views affect Ben-Eliezer's ability to carry out his responsibilities, he said, "Then I will quit. We will go. All the Labor Party. We'll move out of this government."

The former military governor of the West Bank said he knows hundreds of families who have been affected by the violence.

"I feel sorry about them," he said. "Really sorry. I want you to know that I care, exactly as I care about our kids, I care about their kids as well. But someone has to come from the other side and listen to us ... and to find a solution."

Ben-Eliezer said he has seen no proof that his soldiers are treating the Palestinians inappropriately but acknowledged that such incidents may have occurred.

"I know my soldiers. I think they are the most moral soldiers, but in such a big operation, I cannot ignore that some accidents happen. It's a war."