Why are Ben Gvir and Smotrich calling for expanding the war with Lebanon?

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert confirmed that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir support Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon. He said, “Soon, a religious scholar will be found who will identify a verse or two in the ancient holy books that prove that southern Lebanon has always been part of our sacred and historical homeland.”

Olmert admitted that “for the sake of this hallucinatory goal, they are pushing for a comprehensive war in the north, which is unnecessary and unjustified,” and stressed that instead, an agreement must be reached with the Lebanese government, even if that leads to approval of minor “border adjustments” that do not pose a real security threat to Israel. (Al-Mayadeen)