National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sharply attacked the emerging US-Iran agreement Monday, stating that Trump's deal does not obligate Israel and that Israel is not a banana republic. Ben Gvir added that Israel must not compromise on less than the dismantling of Hezbollah and withdrawal from territory it has seized, according to a statement cited by Abu Ali Express.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir further sharpened his attack on the emerging US-Iran agreement on Monday morning, calling Israel "not a banana republic" and demanding the complete dismantling of Hezbollah and a withdrawal from all territory the group has seized, according to a statement cited by Abu Ali Express. The remarks, made around 09:00 Jerusalem, come as the third statement from Ben Gvir on the same topic this morning, escalating the language from earlier positions.
The Zioneer first reported at 08:40 Jerusalem that Ben Gvir said the emerging deal does not obligate Israel and his party is not a partner to it. A second statement, published at 08:50 Jerusalem, added a demand for the dismantling of Hezbollah and an insistence on no withdrawal from cleared border territories. In the latest statement, the minister introduced the "banana republic" barb and tied the demand for Hezbollah's disarmament explicitly to territorial rollback. The repeated, intensifying statements reflect a deliberate campaign by Ben Gvir to position himself against the deal as negotiations advance.
Ben Gvir's latest intervention follows reported assurances from President Trump to Prime Minister Netanyahu that nuclear, missile, and Hezbollah issues would be addressed in the deal, as The Zioneer reported on Saturday. A senior Israeli minister told Channel 12 on Sunday evening that Israel views Lebanon as its own red line and is prepared for a severe confrontation with the United States over the matter, according to a report published at 20:25 Jerusalem. The Trump administration has signaled its intention to finalize the deal, with US envoy Mike Waltz telling Fox News on Sunday that Trump fully intends to close it.
It remains unclear whether Ben Gvir's latest statement reflects any new information about the terms being negotiated or is a purely political escalation. The exact content and timetable of the emerging US-Iran framework have not been published, and the extent of Israeli coordination on Hezbollah-related provisions remains unverified.
4 developments
- StrongBen Gvir: Israel must not accept US-Iran ceasefire
- StrongBen Gvir: Trump's Iran deal does not obligate Israel; any drone launch warrants a strike on Dahiyeh
- DevelopingBen Gvir says Otzma Yehudit not bound by any ceasefire deal
- StrongNetanyahu: 'This equation Iran and Hezbollah tried to impose on us is unacceptable'
Source and signal
- Internal intake