Everyday, Danny Danon heads into the lion’s den as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations. It’s one of the toughest diplomatic jobs there is, making the case for the Jewish state at the rapidly anti-Israel UN, but Danny Danon’s fearlessness makes him the perfect man for the job.
Dannon was interviewed on the latest episode of ‘Stakelbeck Tonight’ โ the interview can be read in full below:
Erick Stakelbeck: This is your second go-around as UN ambassador, but you said recently that this time is more difficult than your first tenure. Why do you say that? Why is ‘now’ different?
Danny Danon: As you mentioned, I’m the first Israeli to actually come back to this demanding position. I realized it would be intense because we are in wartime fighting our enemies. But when I came back… to see the obsession… I was shocked.
I’ll give you an example. Last week, we had to go to the Security Council three times in order to defend Israel. I’m proud to do that together with my team. We represent the country we love so much. But when you hear the lies and the bias against Israel from so many countries, it’s shocking. I tell my colleagues in Jerusalem, “Keep it up. Finish the job. Deal with the terrorists, and we will handle all the pressure coming here at the UN.”
Erick Stackelbeck: One of the things I love about you in this position is that you head into the lion’s den with a smile on your face. You are confident. You know that you have the facts and the truth on your side. That comes in very handy with the likes of the UN Human Rights Council. You criticized them recently for portraying Israel as the aggressor. Can you talk more about the UN Human Rights Councilโwhy that is such a difficult organization to deal with and why the justness of Israel’s cause must be made?
Danny Danon: Look what happened after October 7th with the so-called “Human Rights Council.” Instead of condemning the terrorists of Hamas, they condemned Israel. They are blaming us for attacking civilians, for committing war crimes, for committing a genocide. That’s a blood libel.
When you criticize Israel, it’s one thing. But when you blame us for committing a genocide, starvation, or other ridiculous allegations, that is anti-semitism because you use a different standard against Israel than other standards used against other countries.
Erick Stakelbeck: You would think that the world, after October 7th, would rally by Israel’s side. Sadly, many have become even more anti-Israel. This anti-Semitic explosion we’ve seen at the UN and elsewhere has been truly troubling. The good news is that we have a new administration here in the United States. How big of a difference does the Trump administration make as Israel states its case at the UN and beyond?
Danny Danon: We are grateful to the administration for supporting Israel. We hear the words in the security council, and they stand with usโperiod, no excuses, no conditions, no threats. We appreciate that… Together, we will start to play offense again.
Erick Stakelbeck: This is a moral, just cause. Israel is right. And yet, even as Hamas diverts humanitarian aid in Gaza, as you said, the world points the finger at Israel. Can you talk more about that? Right now, when humanitarian aid flows into Gaza, Hamas literally takes it into those terror tunnels.
Danny Danon: A few days ago, I had the honor to host Eli Sharabi who was in Hamas captivity for almost 500 days. He gave a very powerful testimony. He said that when he was in the tunnels, he was starved. At the same time, the Hamas terrorists were bringing down to the tunnels boxes of aid with the logo of the UN and with the logo of UNRWA. They didn’t share it with the hostages.
We will continue to make sure that Hamas will not stay in Gaza. We haven’t finished the war yet. We have to bring back all the hostages. There are still 59 hostages in captivity. We are praying for them, and we are committed to bringing them back, and we will continue until we eliminate Hamas. It’s possible to do itโthe same way the US eliminated the Nazis and defeated Japan during World War II. We are committed to winning this fight.
Erick Stakelbeck: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA for short, people might say, “Well, that sounds harmless.” It’s anything but, as you well know. This is an arm of the UN, and it has employed members of Hamas. Can you talk about UNRWA and why, at the end of the day, it needs to be disbanded?
Danny Danon: UNRWA failed. They failed professionally. Look at the billions of dollars that they spent over the years and the outcome: no schools, no infrastructure, only incitement against Israel. And they failed morally by allowing Hamas to take over this organization. As you said earlier, we have proof of Hamas terrorists invading Israel on October 7th, and those guys were getting paid by UNRWA and, at the same time, by UN funds.
We are grateful that the US stopped funding UNRWA, and I’m working with other countries in order to convince them to stop funding this rotten organization. You know, if you want to support humanitarian projects, it’s legitimate. But make it into a place that you have accountability, that you know that the money will go to those in need, and it will not go to the terrorists of Hamas.
I believe that in the future, we will be able to divert most of the funds to other NGOs.
Erick Stakelbeck: You have Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and jihadis in Syria, but the head of the snake for most of that terrorโcertainly Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthisโresides in Tehran. Do you get a sense, ambassador, that the UN will try to apply any more pressure on Iran and over its nuclear program, or does that ultimately fall to Israel and the new administration in the United States to hold the Ayatollahs accountable?
Danny Danon: I definitely hope that we will see more pressure, more sanctions. As you mentioned, they feed the proxies. When you see the Houthis attacking US vessels, you know those drones are coming from Iran. The technology, the weapons, the funding, it all comes from Iran. And they target US personnel, they target Israelis, they target other vessels, and they destabilize the region. That is why I think it’s not only Israel or the USโit should be the responsibility of all countries around the world to block Iran from feeding those proxies. It’s possible, we can do it.
We proved also that Iran is vulnerable. When they attacked us, we attacked them back, and we proved to them that we can hit any target in Iran.
Erick Stakelbeck: Iran has been weakened severely. By the way, Iran is not just a problem for Israel. It is a global problem. People need to realize that. Ambassador, a lot of good things are happening at the UNโI know it’s hard to believe for some. You are at the forefront of that. You did it during your first tenure, and now, as well, we hear rumblings; perhaps the Abraham Accords and other peace treaties will expand in the near future. What are some of the encouraging things, in terms of maybe new alliances and new relationships, that Israel is forming in the world and that you are at the forefront of helping to advance at the UN?
Danny Danon: Despite the challenges, I’m still optimistic. We thank God for what we have. I was here when we formed the Abraham Accords and I think there are many countries who would love to join the Abraham Accords. President Trump put it in a very high priority and I think it will benefit the region. It will bring more stability, more trade, and more prosperity, and together, we will fight the radicals.
We have to realize that many in the Middle East are afraid of the radicals. But they have to stand up, push back, and fight them. Otherwise, it will be chaos. I think we are going to have good newsโhopefully, very soon.
Erick Stakelbeck: Last question… You are a very busy man at the UN… Judea and Samaria is a place near and dear to your heart. Terror is increasing there in this biblical heartland. Is there any receptiveness at the UN to the case for Judea and Samaria? Are you advancing the ball there, so to speak? Are people starting to understand why Judea and Samaria are indispensable for the nation of Israel?
Danny Danon: Well, I don’t have to convince you, Erick. You know about the bond between the Jewish people and the Christians to the land of Abraham and to the sites in Judea and Samaria. What we have to point out is the connection between Iran and the instability in Judea and Samaria. They are feeding the terrorists that are smuggling weapons into Judea and Samaria. We see a lot of instability.
It also proves the weakness of the Palestinian authority. They are not capable of bringing law and order to those areas. That is why we have to operate; we have to neutralize the threats.
For me, the best thing is to invite people to come to Judea and Samaria and to see what we speak about. You know, most of the land is vacantโa beautiful landโand there’s a place for many Jews to live there.
