Below is a transcript of an interview with Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” which aired on September 22, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s our Chris Livesay from Tel Aviv, we now go to the President of Israel. Isaac Herzog, welcome back to “Face The Nation.”
PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL ISAAC HERZOG: Thank you, Margaret, good morning,
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. President, in the last few days, Israel has carried out a groundbreaking operation against thousands of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. The United States was given only 20 minutes’ notice. Since then, Israel has also carried out a strike in Beirut that has killed senior Hezbollah commanders. What is this strategy here, and is Israel trying to escalate to a full-fledged war with Hezbollah?
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Absolutely not. We did not want this war. We are not looking for war. This war was waged against us by the minions of the evil empire of Iran, on October 7th by Hamas and on October 8th by Hezbollah. And since then, from Lebanon in the north, and of course from Hamas in the south and all over the Middle East, the minions of Iran have been attacking us and attacking us. Hezbollah is attacking us daily, destroying Israeli villages and towns, effectively forcing 100,000 Israelis from their homes. Life has been destroyed on our northern border. I don’t think any American would have accepted it as some kind of status quo situation in the United States. And ultimately, there are things that have to be done. The duty of a government or a nation is to take care of its citizens and bring them home.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But in terms of what’s happening in northern Israel, the White House is saying that a war in Lebanon is not the way to bring those 100,000 Israelis home. They want a diplomatic deal on that Blue Line. Do you think the current Israeli administration wants a diplomatic deal?
PRESIDENT HERZOG: We have never said that we do not want a diplomatic agreement. On the contrary, there is a very capable American envoy, Amos Hochstein, the advisor to the President, who is trying to go back and forth between us and the Lebanese. We support and welcome the efforts of the United States of America and the administration. We really do. We respect it very much. But at the end of the day, okay, Mr. Hochstein leaves Israel, and they keep shooting and shooting, and that cannot go on forever, because our citizens have to go back home, because the man in Lebanon, Mr. Nasrallah, thinks he wants to link it to Gaza. And in Gaza, there is another arch-terrorist, Mr. Sinwar in the dungeons, who does not want to make a deal, refuses to make a deal. This is jihadism at its best, and that is what we are fighting. And I sincerely wish that, and I say this officially as the President of Israel, and I say it frankly, because I know that we do not want war, but if a war is waged against us, we will go all the way.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you say you don’t want war, Mr. President, Israel moved its 98th Division into northern Israel this week. Your defense minister says the center of gravity is shifting to Lebanon. What is the purpose of these military movements, if not to prepare for war?
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Because these guys that we exterminated on Friday gathered in their apartment in Beirut to plan another October 7th. They developed this school of thought, of swarming into Israel, of trying to take hostages, of slaughtering—
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Do you have any evidence?
PRES. ISAAC HERZOG: – rape, burn, kidnap
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you have evidence that an attack was imminent?
PRES. ISAAC HERZOG: We’ve got enough risks to take care of here. Excuse me?
PRES. ISAAC HERZOG: So I can’t give all the information myself, but it is believed that they were planning an attack. Look, today. This morning they launched a barrage of attacks on Israeli cities, towns, villages, hamlets throughout the northern part of Israel. They dropped huge bombs and rockets on the northern part of Israel. Why would any country accept that? Why would any decent country accept that? We have been in this situation for almost a year, a kind of vicious circle. We want to get out of this vicious circle.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Last week, the AP published shocking footage taken in the West Bank of Israeli soldiers pushing the bodies of Palestinians off the roofs of buildings. The White House says they want an investigation, that this is “appalling and outrageous” behavior. How do you respond to these concerns from one of your closest allies that Israel may be contributing to the risk of escalation?
PRES. ISAAC HERZOG: So we are of course listening openly and honestly to our closest ally. This is if– if it happens as reported, and it is investigated, because we are a country of the rule of law. We will of course take all necessary measures. We will condemn it, and use all– you know, the legal steps that need to be taken against it, but we are studying it because we are a serious army and a serious people, and we are studying and investigating ourselves as much as we can.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Before I let you go, do you think that President Biden’s efforts to negotiate that hostage deal are just wishful thinking at this point? Is this going to be a problem for the next American president?
PRES. ISAAC HERZOG: So I would say that I have tremendous respect for President Biden’s efforts, and we have supported them wholeheartedly. But as the National Security Council spokesman, General Kirby, said recently, we are not getting any positive signals from Hamas at all. From Sinwar, he is sitting there in the dungeons and taking, you know, I mean, whatever we think in our way of thinking as free, loving nations and peoples. He is thinking the other way around. But I would say that the — actually the appeal for the family of nations in this current crisis, which is boiling hot, is perhaps the opportunity to move forward and change the situation by finding the right exit and bringing the hostages home.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. President, thank you for your time this morning.
PRES. ISAAC HERZOG: Thank you very much.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be right back.
