Danon, new US envoy to UN to work for coalition against Hamas, Hezbollah
The two discussed strengthening cooperation between the two countries, and steps that can be taken in the Security Council against Iran and its proxies
By HERB KEINONUN Ambassador Danny Danon and UN Ambassador Kelly Craft(photo credit: ISRAEL MISSION TO THE UN)
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon held his first working meeting with new US Ambassador Kelly Craft, and the two discussed working together to form a broad coalition against Hamas and Hezbollah.According to a statement issued by Danon’s office on Wednesday, the two discussed strengthening cooperation between the two countries, and steps that can be taken in the Security Council against Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah.Craft – a Republican activist from Kentucky and former ambassador to Canada – was sworn in by US Vice President Mike Pence on September 10 replacing Nikki Haley, who was staunchly pro-Israel and often used her speeches in the Security Council and the General Assembly to defend Israel and point out the hypocrisy of the world body when it comes to Israel.In December, Haley put forward an anti-Hamas resolution in the General Assembly that gained a plurality of 87-57, but failed to be adopted because of a procedural maneuver that required it to win a two-thirds majority.Craft, in her maiden appearance at the monthly Middle East debate in the Security Council last month, signaled that she will be as strong an advocate for Israel inside the UN as Haley was.“The United States has always supported Israel in the past,” Craft said. “The United States supports Israel today. The United States will always support Israel moving forward. Israel will have no better friend than Kelly Craft.”Israel’s discovery of Hezbollah terror tunnels snaking into Israel from southern Lebanon last December led to a concentrated push by Israel – so far unsuccessful – to have the Security Council blacklist Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.Danon and Craft also spoke during their meeting about leading a combined diplomatic effort against the global rise of antisemitism.
