National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Monday that the emerging US-Iran agreement does not obligate Israel, declaring that Israel is an independent sovereign state not subject to the United States. He opposed any compromise short of dismantling Hezbollah, rejecting withdrawal from any territory IDF troops have cleared of terror infrastructure, and insisted Israel must not remain silent in the face of fire toward the country.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Monday morning that the Trump administration's agreement with Iran does not obligate Israel and that his party is not a partner to the deal. The statement, published by Amit Segal (N12), sharpens a position that has been building across the thread since early morning: as The Zioneer reported at 07:14 Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Trump by phone overnight that Israel does not consider itself bound by the Lebanon article in the emerging US-Iran memorandum of understanding. Ben Gvir went further than the prime minister's reported message, declaring categorical opposition to any compromise short of dismantling Hezbollah, ruling out any withdrawal from territory IDF forces have seized and cleared, and insisting Israel must not remain silent in response to fire directed at the state.
The thread's corroboration has tightened steadily. The earliest report at 07:14 Jerusalem cited a single Russian source; within minutes on the same timestamp, Israeli sources confirmed the prime minister's message to Trump, and journalist Anna Barsky added that Netanyahu explicitly stated the IDF will not withdraw from Lebanon. At 07:14, The Zioneer published the combined account: Netanyahu told Trump Israel is not bound by the Lebanon clause, with Ben Gvir separately stating Israel is not a party to the agreement. A background context item from Fri Jun 12, 20:20 Jerusalem reported a senior US official saying no country would waive its right to self-defense due to the Iran deal; on Sat Jun 13, 23:31 Jerusalem, an Israeli source told Iran International that Jerusalem retains the right to self-defense.
As The Zioneer reported on Sun Jun 14, 20:25 Jerusalem, a senior cabinet minister told Channel 12 that "Lebanon is ours, Iran is Trump's," and insisted that Lebanon must not be subject to the "Iranian equation" even at the cost of a severe confrontation with the United States. The widening gap between Jerusalem and Washington is also reflected in a background item from Mon Jun 8, 16:00 Jerusalem, reporting that the Trump administration had ordered no defensive action to protect Israel from Iranian missiles — though that report has not been independently confirmed.
What remains open: whether Ben Gvir's hard-line conditions — no compromise short of dismantling Hezbollah and no territorial withdrawal — reflect the government's formal position or mark a coalition-driven escalation of rhetoric beyond what Netanyahu conveyed to Trump. The exact content and timing of the Netanyahu-Trump call have not been officially confirmed by either government.
7 developments
- StrongBen Gvir: Israel must not accept US-Iran ceasefire
- StrongIsraeli source: Israel not obligated to sign US-Iran deal, retains self-defense right
- StrongRubio: US on track to sign Iran deal, Israeli strikes won't derail process
- DevelopingMK Boaz Bismuth: Israel not obligated by US-Iran deal, committed to war goals
Source and signal
- Internal intake