Nikki Haley
Nikki HaleyStephanie Keith, Reuters

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley arrived on Wednesday morning for a three-day trip to Israel. Arutz Sheva spoke to Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, who greeted Haley at Ben Gurion airport.

"Ambassador Haley is at the forefront, on the UN stage, so she has a lot of exposure," Danon said. "She's also very direct, and sticks to the truth. She doesn't dodge issues, she doesn't hide anything, and she strengthens her position and ours in this challenging arena. We are blessed to have her here, and we welcome her."

"We will use our army, we will fly her in an army helicopter to see the challenges in Israel's north and south, as well as to see the narrow waist of a small country in a sensitive location.

"I think this visit is not just important to us, it's important to Ambassador Haley personally," Danon said, adding that Haley had mentioned several times her desire to visit Israel, but noted that her previous position as South Carolina governor did not allow her to do so.

Haley will meet Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin later on Wednesday.

"We need to see what the future of the UN will be," Danon continued. "We understand that our fronts with Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south will be discussed at the UN Security Council."

"There, together with Haley, we will have to curb the attacks against Israel.

"In this visit, we will focus on the security challenges Hamas and Hezbollah present us with.

"She will see the Kerem Shalom Crossing with her own eyes, we will visit one of Hamas' cement tunnels out of Gaza, and she'll be able to see how Hamas uses these tunnels.

"We are working amazingly well together... We are holding preparatory meetings for the UN General Assembly. Sometimes I tell Ambassador Haley that I feel slightly uncomfortable with the fact that we take up so much of her and her staff's time.

"We deal with these issues every day, every hour - and so does Ambassador Haley. As US Ambassador, she has a lot of issues to deal with from all over the globe, yet she finds herself dedicating much of her time to Israeli issues, because the UN has an obsession with Israel. At the end of the day, she invests a lot of resources into dealing with the UN's obsession.

"She says things straight, without hiding anything, without saying we'll continue the same way. That's her strong point, her directness, her honesty. The UN isn't used to it, and part of Ambassador Haley's success is because her approach is new."

Regarding his new position as Vice President of the UN General Assembly, Danon said, "I am proud to be the first Israeli elected for this position."

"We need to lift our heads proudly, and understand that we are equal and can run for any position.

"When I ran for Vice President of the UN General Assembly, it was obvious to everyone that there was no way to foil my attempt. Between the support we received from Ambassador Haley and the support we received from other ambassadors, they didn't even bring it for a vote.

"We don't need to fear. We need to go with our truth. We are a country with a lot to offer the UN, and during my term as Vice President of the UN General Assembly, I hope to show the world Israel's beautiful face and expose her as a contributor to the world.

"I hope to succeed in preventing the Palestinians from continuing to lie and incite against Israel."