Former Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Herzog spoke about the contrasting leadership styles of Biden and Trump, the nuclear threat posed by Iran, and Israel’s missteps in Gaza in a wide-ranging interview with Maariv published on Saturday.
Herzog, who recently concluded his term as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, described his three-year tenure in Washington as one of the most complex and intense periods of his public service career. He discussed the diplomatic fallout from the October 7 attacks, tensions over humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the increasingly urgent need to contain Iran’s nuclear program.
“It’s hard to grasp that after the worst security crisis in the country’s history… the State of Israel is sinking into an unprecedented spiral of internal division,” Herzog said.
He expressed concern over Israel’s strategic drift and criticized the lack of a clear plan for postwar Gaza. “We need to begin discussions with Egypt and other relevant actors to shape the day after,” Herzog urged, saying delays could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability.
Herzog also revealed that Israel narrowly avoided serious diplomatic rifts with the Biden administration at multiple points during the conflict. “We didn’t get there, but there were some very difficult moments, and my mission was to prevent that.”
Trump’s chaotic diplomacy brought Arab action, Biden’s stability gave Israel space
Describing Biden as a reliable if cautious partner, Herzog said the president was “a true friend of Israel” during the ongoing war. However, mid-level officials in his administration often created difficulties.
“There was a sizable layer of officials in Biden’s State Department who ranged from reserved to outright hostile toward Israel,” Herzog said. “That created many difficulties for us—we often had to go through them to reach Secretary of State Antony Blinken.”
Herzog contrasted Biden’s approach with Trump’s disruptive tactics. “Figuratively speaking, he throws a grenade into the room. There’s smoke, chaos, and then, on the back of that chaos, Trump begins to negotiate and extract favorable terms for himself.”
Trump’s proposal to evacuate Gaza, while extreme, was effective at spurring regional engagement. “You can’t deny that he got the Arab states to convene and offer proposals that, without the smoke grenade, they never would’ve submitted.”
Herzog believes Trump’s stance on Israel goes beyond politics: “At his core, I believe Trump is pro-Israel. Of course, he also has political interests—but I wouldn’t say his approach is purely transactional.”
Herzog outlines four conditions Israel must reach with the US on Iran
Turning to Iran, Herzog said the world was approaching a decisive moment. “I believe that 2025 must be a year of decision and resolution on the Iranian issue—whether diplomatically or militarily.”
He noted that Iran now has enough enriched uranium for 17 nuclear bombs. “If Iran decided to enrich to military-grade for a single bomb, it could do so in under a week.”
Herzog said Israel must reach understandings with the Trump administration on four core issues:
- The scope of negotiations — “Are we only talking about the nuclear program itself, or also about Iran’s missiles, which I believe must be part of any deal?”
- US red lines — “What the US demands are in the talks and what its red lines are.”
- Timeframe — “The Iranians are masters at dragging out talks to run down the clock.”
- Military fallback — “What happens if no agreement is reached—will the US support a military operation against the nuclear program, and how?”
Herzog warned that limited enrichment models, while likely under discussion, are not failproof. “Iran has already shown that it knows how to manipulate international supervision, circumvent it, and hide materials.”
Humanitarian aid was mismanaged and bolstered Hamas’s rule in Gaza
Herzog was critical of how humanitarian aid to Gaza was handled during the conflict. “The aid we brought into Gaza fueled Hamas’s governance in the Strip. We completely failed on this front.”
He recounted that President Biden had conditioned support for Israel on allowing aid. “Netanyahu told him there’s a risk the aid could fall into Hamas’s hands. And Biden replied: ‘If that happens, stop the aid.’ Well, it happened—and no one stopped anything.”
While Herzog disagreed with cutting off all aid, he called for a coherent policy: “The entire world sees us as responsible for the situation there, and that has enormous legal and broader consequences.”
Israel lacks a plan for who will govern Gaza after Hamas
“We said we wouldn’t end the war while Hamas still controlled Gaza, and we’re still far from that objective,” Herzog said.
He noted that military gains were not matched by governance strategy. “At first, a project coordinator in the National Security Council was appointed—but he resigned after realizing he was doing work that wasn’t being implemented due to political reasons.”
Herzog firmly opposed an Israeli occupation. “That would be a strategic mistake… The entire world would say: ‘It’s your problem now—you’re responsible.’”
Returning the hostages must come before removing Hamas
“Until now, Israel has avoided choosing between toppling Hamas and returning the hostages. That’s no longer tenable,” Herzog said. “My clear position is that the return of all the hostages, single one, alive and dead—must take precedence, even if it means stopping the fighting at this stage.”
He warned that public trust hinges on this: “I want every soldier and civilian to know that if they are captured defending the country, the country will do everything in its power to rescue them.”
Qatar must be investigated for Hamas support and influence operations
Herzog said Qatar’s influence strategy is clear. “Qatar plays on both sides… and uses its image with the good to whitewash what it does with the bad,” he said. “They are not our friends.”
He pointed to Qatar’s official statements blaming Israel and praising Hamas leaders. “The State of Israel has a clear interest in thoroughly investigating any suspicion of Qatari influence through the Prime Minister’s Office and throughout the corridors of power.”
“Throughout my adult life, I have dealt with security and foreign affairs in the service of the State of Israel,” Herzog said. “And I must say that today I am far less worried about external threats and much more concerned about the internal rift, the polarization, and the erosion of the foundational values of the State of Israel.”
He said healing requires three key steps: the return of all hostages, a state commission of inquiry into the failures of October 7, and narrowing the inequality in national burden-sharing.
“I believe that, in the end, we will find the strength to come out of this crisis and thrive again.”
