In an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News immediately following a day of intensive tours with newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Israel’s Ambassador Danny Danon delivered blunt messages on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and the prospects for expanding the Abraham Accords.
Speaking just minutes after concluding one meeting with Ambassador Waltz and before heading to another, Danon described the joint visit to Israel’s southern and northern borders as crucial for showing the incoming Trump administration the continuing threats facing the Jewish state.
After visiting the Gaza border region and meeting the family of fallen soldier Ran Gvili, whose body remains in Hamas captivity, Danon was unequivocal: “Hamas will not stay here. Period. With all due respect to reconstruction and humanitarian issues, the main focus should be on the fact that Hamas cannot stay in power in Gaza.”
Addressing concerns that President Donald Trump’s desire to act quickly as a peacemaker might lead to pressure on Israel, Danon stressed that Trump’s own initiative explicitly conditions any next stage on the return of all hostages. “When you read the resolution and the initiative of President Trump, it says very clearly that the next stage will be after all the hostages are back home and we are going to insist on this point that all of them must come back home,” Danon said.
During a helicopter tour of the Golan Heights, Ambassador Waltz witnessed firsthand the deceptive calm of the Syrian border. While there, Israeli forces attempted to arrest a terrorist in Quneitra-an operation the terrorist escaped. Danon used the incident to underscore Israel’s position toward the new Syrian leadership: “We want to see results on the ground. We learned the lesson. We saw what happened in Lebanon. We made a mistake allowing Hezbollah to build their forces on the border. We are not going to repeat that mistake on the Golan Heights. We will not allow those militias to build their presence, their bunkers, tunnels on the Golan Heights.”
Turning to Lebanon, Danon warned that Hezbollah is attempting to rearm and regroup despite the current ceasefire. “The Lebanese government are talking about efforts to neutralize, but we want to see actions. It’s not enough to declare. If they will not take the necessary steps, we will have to step in and neutralize. We are not going to wait forever for the Lebanese government.”
He expressed confidence that Washington would understand if Israel is forced to act: “If Lebanese will deal with that, that’s okay. If they will not deal with us, our colleagues in DC will understand that we have no other choice.”
Danon dismissed recent European-sponsored UN votes and conferences pushing for recognition of a Palestinian state as “a show” that “has no meaning.” He thanked the United States for standing firm but criticized countries such as Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia, accusing them of promoting “anti-Israel propaganda at the UN and in the EU” even during the Gaza ceasefire.
Despite the ongoing war, Danon said he feels growing closeness from Muslim and Arab League leaders. “I can feel it and I see that Muslim leaders and leaders from the Arab League are getting closer to Israel. We have better dialogues and I think it will happen sooner than later. I’m very optimistic about it. I know that President Trump it’s on his agenda to make it happen and I believe it will happen very soon.”
Asked whether Saudi Arabia or others might condition further normalization on Palestinian statehood, Danon pointed to the existing peace treaties with Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco - all achieved without a Palestinian state - and argued that Arab leaders now recognize there is “no viable partner” on the Palestinian side, citing Hamas rule in Gaza and corruption and ineffectiveness in the Palestinian Authority.
Danon described Waltz, a former U.S. Army Green Beret commander, as “a friend of Israel, of the Jewish people, very committed, very knowledgeable.” He noted that Waltz’s long military service gives him deep understanding of Israel’s security challenges, adding: “The fact that we actually have to fight for our freedom and that’s what we are doing for the last 24 months the entire nation fought. we called the reserves, 400,000 people showed up. He gets it.”
The two ambassadors also visited the U.S.-funded humanitarian pier facility in Gaza, where Danon reiterated that disarmament of Hamas remains the key issue before any large-scale reconstruction can proceed.