Danny Danon

Danny Danon

Danon in December 2008
Date of birth (1971-05-08) 8 May 1971
Place of birth Ramat Gan, Israel
Knessets 18, 19, 20
Faction represented in Knesset
2009–2015 Likud
Ministerial roles
2015 Minister of Science, Technology and Space

Danny Danon (Hebrew: דני דנון‎, born 8 May 1971) is an Israeli politician who currently serves as Israel's envoy to the United Nations. Danon was previously a member of the Knesset for Likud, Minister of Science, Technology and Space, Technology and Space and Deputy Minister of Defence. He served among others as Chairman of World Likud, Member of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors, Member of the Zionist Executive of World Zionist Organization and Chairman of the World Betar Executive.

Early life

Danon was born in Ramat Gan to Joseph and Yoheved Danon. He attended Blich High School and was a member of the Betar youth movement. he earned a Bachelor's degree in international affairs from the Florida International University, and a Master's degree in public policy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After his national service in the IDF between 1994 and 1996, Danon was sent to Miami by the Jewish Agency.[1]

Political career

In 1996, he was appointed assistant to Likud MK Uzi Landau. Later on he was appointed the Chairman of the World Betar organization for a few years. Prior to the 2006 elections, Danon won 23rd spot on Likud's list in the party primaries. However, the party won only 12 seats, and Danon did not enter the Knesset.[1] In June 2006, after beating MK Yuval Steinitz, Danon was elected Chairman of the World Likud organization.[2] Danon was active against Prime-Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan during the referendum conducted by the latter in the Likud party's central committee.

In July 2007, Danon, described as one of Benjamin Netanyahu's biggest critics from within the Likud, declared his candidacy for the Likud leadership elections.[3] He eventually finished third. In 2008, Danon filed a petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice to rescind the citizenship of former MK Azmi Bishara, who fled Israel after he was suspected of aiding Hezbollah, an enemy organization of Israel, during the 2006 Lebanon War. The petition was rejected.

Prior to the 2009 elections he won twenty-fourth place on the Likud list, and entered the Knesset as the party won 27 seats. He became a Deputy Speaker of the Knesset. In an August 2011 interview with Teymoor Nabili on Al Jazeera English, Mr. Danon said "There is place only for one state on the land of Israel.... I do not believe in a two-state solution."[4]

After being re-elected in 2013, Danon was appointed as Deputy Minister of Defense in Netanyahu's government. However, on 15 July 2014 Danon was fired from the position by Netanyahu after publicly criticizing Netanyahu's handling of Operation Protective Edge.[5][6]

Danon submitted his candidacy for the 2014 Likud leadership election on 8 December 2014.[7] The only candidate to run against Netanyahu, he received 19% of the votes. After retaining his Knesset seat in the 2015 elections, Danon was appointed Minister of Science, Technology and Space in Netanyahu's new government.

He served as minister until his appointment in August 2015 as Israel's envoy to the UN replacing Ron Prosor.[8]

On 14 August 2015, Danon was appointed by Netanyahu to be Israel's envoy to the UN replacing Ron Prosor.[9] He stepped down as a Knesset member and minister later in the month.

Views on conflict with Palestinians

In 2013, Danon asserted that the Likud party has no place for anyone supporting a peace agreement with the Palestinians. He is opposed to a two-state solution. He argues for extending Israeli sovereignty over the majority of the West Bank, 'with the minimum number of Palestinians.'[10][11]

In May 2011, Danon wrote an opinion published in the New York Times where he advocated that Israel annex all West Bank settlements and "uninhabited areas". He concluded that Israel would bear no responsibility to Palestinians in the West Bank, who would live in their own "unannexed" towns and that this solution would avert the "threat to the Jewish and democratic status of Israel by a growing Palestinian population".[12]

Danon has made controversial comments suggesting Israel should undertake punitive attacks and action against civilian infrastructure and civilians. On 10 November 2011, in a Facebook post, he stated "for every missile that falls in our southern towns, we retaliate by deleting a neighborhood in Gaza".[13][14] In July 2014, after the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, Danon was quoted as saying "If we don't get the soldier back within a few hours we should start levelling Gaza."[15][16] In July 2014, Danon advocated cutting off all electricity and fuel supplies to Gaza to induce Hamas to request a cease-fire.[17][18]

References

  1. 1 2 Paz, Shelly (2009-02-05). "On the cusp". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  2. ↑ Betar chair trounces MK Steinitz in World Likud poll Haaretz, 19 June 2006
  3. ↑ Danon joins race for Likud leadership Jerusalem Post, 13 July 2007
  4. ↑ Danny Danon talks to Al Jazeera Al Jazeera, 5 August 2011
  5. ↑ Netanyahu fires Danon for critical remarks Yedioth Acharonoth, 15 July 2014
  6. ↑ Danon says criticism of negligent handling of Hamas tunnels led to ouster The Jerusalem Post, 28 September 2014
  7. ↑ "Danny Danon submits candidacy for Likud leadership". Times of Israel. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Netanyahu appoints Danny Danon as Israel's envoy to the UN". The Jerusalem Post. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Netanyahu appoints Danny Danon as Israel's envoy to the UN". The Jerusalem Post. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  10. ↑ David Horowitz, 'Danny Danon, dismally, is the true face of Netanyahu’s Israel,' Times of Israel 14 August 2015.
  11. ↑ Kalman, Aaron (September 4, 2013). "Supporters of peace deal have no place in Likud, says MK". Times of Israel. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  12. ↑ Danon, Danny (May 18, 2011). "Making the Land of Israel Whole". New York Times. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  13. ↑ Likud MK: “Delete” Gaza neighborhood for each rocket fired +972 Magazine, November 10, 2011
  14. ↑ The Party Faithful, The New Yorker, January 21 2013
  15. ↑ "MK Danon to Ynet: If the soldier isn't returned, 'we should start leveling Gaza'". Ynetnews. Yedioth Media Group. August 1, 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "The brutal kidnap that killed off hopes of peace in Gaza". Daily Mail. Daily Mail. July 31, 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "Deputy defense minister demands Israel cut off fuel, electricity supply to Gaza". Jerusalem Post. July 9, 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  18. ↑ "Minister Campaigns to Cut Electricity to Gaza". Israel National News. Arutz Sheva. July 9, 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2015.

External links

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