JNS
An interview with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel.
Jerusalem is optimistic about Donald Trump’s return to the White House because of his ability to recognize and combat shared threats to America and the Jewish state, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel (Likud) told JNS on Monday.
"Americans, like Israelis, just want to live in peace, and that is disturbed by many elements which Trump rightfully identified during his first term," she said. "I think if he sets a goal he chases it. So I reckon that we will probably see a lot more."
During an interview in her office at the Knesset on Monday, Haskel put a strong emphasis on the Iranian threat, and urged close coordination with Washington on the matter.
“Iran is a violent entity. It does not just oppress its own people, it is trying to take over and control other populations in other countries," she said. "We are following developments closely and there will be security discussions with the new administration."
Regarding the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Iran's proxy in Gaza, Haskel praised Trump for putting pressure on the terrorist group.
“Hamas continued to refuse any proposition brought to them. It was only when Trump set a red line and threatened them that they actually came to sit around the table. Up to that point, they weren’t even present,” she said.
Even so, she emphasized the fragility of the truce, noting that Hamas has already breached the agreement.
“There were many violations," Haskel said. "In fact, prior to the ceasefire taking effect, Hamas had already started moving Palestinians back to the north of the Strip in contravention of the agreement."
She made clear that the Netanyahu government remains committed to not only bringing back all of the hostages from Gaza but also to dismantling Hamas's military and governing capabilities.
Otherwise, she noted, "the question is not whether another Oct. 7 will happen, but rather when."
To this end, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told JNS on Tuesday that the United States has provided Jerusalem with a written guarantee of its right to resume the war if negotiations for the second and third phases of the deal fall through.
“If we can achieve the goals of the war through a diplomatic solution, we’d prefer that," Haskel told JNS. "A military solution is not the goal, it’s a means to an end, but we will not surrender to Hamas. We are willing to make concessions, but not [to commit] suicide. If the negotiations fail, the United States will back Israel in achieving the goals of the war,” she added.
Haskel expressed concern regarding the situation in Judea and Samaria following the release of thousands of Palestinian terrorists, some with blood on their hands, as part of the ceasefire.
“One of the terrorists took part in ... an attack that killed 23 people here in Jerusalem. That person will walk free without any restrictions, and it’s not just one, there are more than a thousand of them,” she said.
“Will the areas of Judea and Samaria be less safe? Probably. Do we need to make sure we attend to the security needs of our people who live there? Of course. That is something that needs to be understood. Understanding the area we live in also means understanding the heavy price we pay for the ceasefire and the release of our hostages,” she added.
Pivoting to the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which expires on Jan. 26, Haskel said that the baseline for any extension is a solid enforcement mechanism.
She noted that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war with Hezbollah, called for the Iranian-backed terrorist group to disarm and withdraw north of the Litani River, about 18 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border.
"Anyone can sign a paper, if you don’t commit to it then it doesn’t mean much," Haskel told JNS. "We’ve said very clearly the ceasefire with Lebanon will be tested, making sure that Hezbollah does not rearm and pull back [beyond the Litani]."
Thus far, she said, the results have been mixed. "We see many violations by Hezbollah. Two weeks ago, we gave the exact locations of rocket launchers aimed at the Israeli civilians to the Americans and the Lebanese to destroy. But they didn’t, and we had to eliminate them [ourselves] after a week."
Currently the enforcement mechanism "is not fully functioning, but there will likely be a few more stages,” she said.
While Haskel recognized the complexities faced by the Lebanese army in disarming Hezbollah, she said that Jerusalem “would work together with our allies to get the best results." Israel, she added, has no intentions to stay in Lebanon.
Finally, Haskel revealed the launch of a diplomatic push to counter Iranian influence in Africa and southern and central America.
“We see Iran trying to enter pockets of instability in countries where they can infiltrate and create fertile ground for radicalization,” Haskel told JNS.
“Hezbollah, which is the army of Iran, controls illegal weapons and drug trafficking, posing a serious threat to many countries and also posing a threat to the United States,” she said.
“My effort is to try and identify pockets of stability in order to cooperate and work together,” she added.
