President Isaac Herzog rejects criticism of Trump administration – but says Hezbollah disarmament must be part of any deal with Lebanon.By World Israel News StaffPresident Isaac Herzog said Monday that any diplomatic arrangement in Lebanon must include Hezbollah’s disarmament and must not allow Iran to dictate the country’s future, as Israel prepares for renewed talks with Lebanon under US auspices.Speaking at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, Herzog said Israel is not opposed to diplomacy but warned that Iran and its regional proxies are seeking to rebuild after months of war.“Across the region, from Iran to Lebanon to Gaza, our enemies are seeking to rebuild, re-arm, and evolve in order to continue threatening our citizens and terrorizing our people,” Herzog said. “Israel is not opposed to a diplomatic outcome of the war. On the contrary, we seek peace. We dream of peace on all frontiers.”He said recent developments had raised “serious, legitimate concerns in Israel” because the country remains directly threatened by Iran and its proxies.“We are the ones being targeted by Iran’s empire of evil and its proxies,” Herzog said. “Iran has been threatening to annihilate Israel for decades. Iran’s desire to become a nuclear threshold state is therefore a tangible threat to Israel and world peace and cannot be enabled!”Herzog said President Donald Trump and other American leaders had “correctly” identified Iran as a threat to global stability, but added that Israel is concerned about the financial elements of a possible agreement with Tehran.“We must also address concerns regarding the financial components of the deal with Iran in order to prevent funds, which Iran will supposedly receive, from being funneled towards its war machine and its proxies,” he said.Turning to Lebanon, Herzog said any resolution must come through direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, not through Iranian pressure.“The conflict in Lebanon should be resolved through negotiations between Israel and Lebanon – and not by Iranian extortion,” Herzog said. “Tying Iran to Lebanon not only leaves Israel exposed to constant threat; it leaves the Lebanese weak and powerless, and will prevent their President and government from moving forward.”Herzog said Israeli-Lebanese talks are set to resume Tuesday in Washington under US auspices.“The disarmament of Hezbollah must be inherent to any solution in Lebanon, and Iran cannot dictate the future of Lebanon – on these fundamental points there is full agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” he said.The president also praised Trump as a strong ally of Israel and said he believed the two countries could reach understandings on Iran and regional security.“President Donald Trump is a trusted partner of Israel,” Herzog said. “Our closest friend and ally and leader of the free world – the leader of the United States of America – has been staunchly combating the empire of evil and promoting stability in the Middle East.”“We value the president’s ongoing friendship and his administration’s clear stance regarding Iran’s nuclear plans and intentions,” he added. “We share values and interests, and I have every confidence that together we can find the best formula to tackle this challenge.”Herzog then rejected attacks on senior Trump administration officials.“I totally reject any derogatory statements aimed at senior officials in the administration,” Herzog said.Herzog also used the speech to denounce antisemitism and what he called the international delegitimization of Israel.“We must boldly confront all extremist movements; we must combat any and every expression of anti-Semitism whenever and wherever it appears; and we must employ truth to counter the bias, distortions, and double standards spread constantly in the media, online, and across the halls of the United Nations,” he said.“The international campaign to delegitimize and demonize Israel is not what they falsely call ‘constructive, valid criticism,’” Herzog said. “It is a backhanded effort to question the Jewish people’s inherent right to sovereignty and our right to live and to raise our children peacefully.”Herzog closed by pointing to the Abraham Accords, as well as Israel’s peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, as models for a broader regional framework.“I continue to be inspired by the historic Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Bahrain, brokered and led by President Trump and his team, and of course by the pioneers in Egypt and Jordan for their bold steps, which opened the door to peace,” he said. “I pray that we broaden this circle of peace.”“Together, we can build a region of bridges rather than barriers,” Herzog said. “Together, we can prove that peace is not a dream for the naïve, but a strategy for the strong.”The post Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas are rearming, warns Israeli president appeared first on World Israel News.