Herzog and Waltz Push Forward President Trump’s Postwar Strategy in High-Level Jerusalem Meeting
President Isaac Herzog held talks in Jerusalem on Wednesday with US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, using the meeting to review the next steps for implementing last month’s UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and President Donald Trump’s peace framework. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, joined the discussion at the President’s Residence.
Herzog opened the meeting by thanking Waltz for his role in securing the resolution’s passage, calling the measure “no less than historic.” He said the agreement now serves as the foundation for shaping conditions in Gaza once Hamas is removed from power. Herzog stressed that the remaining hostage in Gaza, Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, must be returned without delay, describing his recovery as a central obligation under the current diplomatic track.
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The president warned that momentum is essential. He said prolonged pauses in regional diplomacy allow adversarial actors to reorganize, pointing specifically to Iran and groups it supports. Herzog praised the resolution for uniting governments that had not backed similar efforts in the past and expressed hope that its implementation would move quickly and successfully. He also thanked Waltz for offering Israel what he described as “clear moral clarity” since the October 7 attacks, adding that Israel has borne the burden of defending shared democratic values.
Herzog raised concerns about efforts to deny or dismiss the sexual violence of October 7. He noted that his wife leads an international campaign on the issue and urged Waltz to keep the matter on the UN agenda. He said some voices inside the UN system continue to misrepresent the events and that sustained attention is needed to counter those claims.
Waltz said he was honored to visit Israel for the first time in his current role and credited President Trump’s 20-point plan as the basis for the diplomatic breakthrough that followed. He pointed to the unanimous Security Council endorsement—13 votes with two abstentions—as evidence of shifting international consensus, including support from Arab states and a public acceptance from the Palestinian Authority.
He said the next phase will include the activation of the Board of Peace, the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian authority to restore basic services in Gaza, a funding mechanism to support reconstruction, and an international stabilization force. Waltz emphasized that eliminating Hamas is non-negotiable, saying President Trump has made clear that “there will not be any more Hamas,” and that the United States remains committed to ending the repeated cycle of violence and rebuilding.
