Exclusive: The world has been watching Israel's response to the Iranian missile attack on October 1st, with the country's UN Ambassador Danny Danon saying it will take “extremely painful” steps to prevent future Iranian attacks. I promised it would happen.
Danon stressed Israel's authority to decide how to strike back against Iran, and stressed that Israel would not pay much attention to President Biden's claims of “proportionality.”
“The timing and location will be determined in the future,” he said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
“The regime is fragile and it's up to us to decide what message we want to send to them,” Danon continued. “This is very painful for the Iranian regime and will make it think twice in the future whether or not to attack Israel.”
Iran rained down about 200 missiles on Tel Aviv on October 1st. In the two weeks since then, a looming counterattack awaits Iran — and Biden has urged Israel to avoid attacks on nuclear and oil facilities and limit its counterattacks to military facilities.
Danon said the world needed to do more to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
“If they have a nuclear bomb, God forbid,” Danon said. “We can all imagine what they will do with it. So I don't think we should wait for that day. We hope that the United States, Europe and other strong democracies will take action against Iran today. I am doing it.”
Since October 7, 2023, Iran has been fighting Israel through its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah. The missile attack earlier this month was Iran's first direct attack on Israel since April.
Ambassador Danny Danon insists Netanyahu's government remains united despite the outpouring of condemnation of Israel's actions from other parts of the world. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Iran's foreign minister has been touring the Middle East over the past week to shore up support from other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and Jordan. Soon, he plans to travel to Egypt and Türkiye.
In the United States, Mr. Biden is under pressure from progressives to use leverage and condition aid to Israel to avoid further civilian casualties.
Danon, once a vocal opponent of right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, insists that today's Netanyahu government remains united despite mounting condemnation of Israel's actions from other parts of the world.
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“We have nowhere to go. That's why we are united, we are dedicated to fighting back, and defending our people and our nation.”
Some have called for a plan for the next day once Israel has determined it has defeated its enemies in Gaza and Lebanon. “We can only talk about recovery after we defeat Hamas,” Danon said.
“Everyone who is concerned about the future of Palestinians in Gaza should support Israel,” he continued. “If we allow Hamas to stay, Gaza has no future.”
In Gaza, eliminating Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2006, leaves open the question of who will maintain that authority.
And as Israel advances its invasion of Lebanon to push back against Hezbollah, Danon calls on locals to drain Hezbollah's power and reclaim sovereignty from Tehran's influence.
People gather near the assassination site of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on the southern outskirts of Beirut. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
On October 2, 2024, the Israeli military airstrikes the southern Lebanese border town of Qiam, causing thick smoke to rise. (Stringer/Photo Alliance, via Getty Images)
“I approached the Lebanese people and even spoke to them in Arabic, urging them to take responsibility for their future and not allow Iran to use Lebanon as a launching pad against Israel,” he said. session earlier this month.
“Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese people, not to Iranian interests.”
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Danon said that contrary to its goal of eradicating Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel seeks to push Hezbollah back into Lebanon and away from its northern border.
“We want to return to a situation where Hezbollah is not on Israel's borders in accordance with UN resolution 1701. Hopefully this time it will be implemented better,” Danon said. “We are pushing them back and we hope to be done soon.”
Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, established a buffer zone between Israel and Hezbollah where the terrorist organization would not be located along the Israeli border.
The UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL was tasked with enforcing the resolution, but Hezbollah quickly returned to the area.
For the past two weeks, Israel has ordered U.N. peacekeepers to move 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the so-called Blue Line (the U.N.-defined line separating Lebanon, Israel, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights) for their own safety. I was told to retreat. .
From Israel's cease-fire push to operations on the ground: The US appears to be accepting its involvement in the escalating war.
Although they have so far refused to do so, Danon said he is continuing talks asking UNIFIL forces to relocate for safety.
“We think it's a mistake [to stay put]but we will continue to do our best to ensure that UN forces are not mistakenly targeted. But, you know, when you're in a firefight between Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces, it's not safe. ”
Danon is often at the forefront of tense relations between Israel and the United Nations, where the organization continues to call on the Israel Defense Forces to cease hostilities.
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“We have seen the United Nations forget the moral issues it should be raising,” Danon said.
When asked if he still believed in the United Nations as a force for peace and security, he said: “Well, that idea was good…Unfortunately, today this idea is used by hostile forces to attack victims, not to condemn those who attack other countries.”And civilians too. ”
