Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has flatly rejected the US-Iran peace deal, declaring that the agreement holds no authority over Israel and warning that the country will continue to act independently in pursuit of its security interests.
"Trump's agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation," Ben Gvir wrote on X on Monday.
ההסכם של טראמפ אינו מחייב אותנו. ישראל לא כפופה לארצות הברית ואנחנו מדינה עצמאית וריבונית!
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) June 15, 2026
חובתנו לאזרחי ישראל לחיילי צה״ל ולעם היהודי וחובתנו ההיסטורית לנרדפים ולנרצחים היהודים באלפי שנות גלות, להעניק ביטחון ליהודים בארץ ישראל.
בכל פעם שנכנענו ללחץ בינלאומי על חשבון ביטחון…
Ben Gvir's statement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told US President Donald Trump that Israel will not withdraw its forces from Lebanon and does not accept the Lebanon-related provisions in the emerging US-Iran peace agreement, according to Israeli media reports.
He reportedly stated, “Israel does not consider itself bound by the agreement's Lebanon-related terms and insisted that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will remain in their current positions in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu added that Israeli operations against Hezbollah will continue, including targeting militant infrastructure and responding to any threats along Israel's northern border.”
Earlier, Trump publicly criticised Netanyahu, calling him "a very difficult guy" and accusing him of mounting attacks that nearly derailed the final agreement.
Trump said Netanyahu "should be very thankful" for the deal, warning that without it, Iran's acquisition of a nuclear weapon would have left Israel without "two hours" of survival.
ALSO READ: Will Israel Withdraw Forces From Lebanon? Here's What Netanyahu Told Trump
Meanwhile, the minister drew on Israel's history to argue against bowing to external pressure.
"Every time we succumbed to international pressure at the expense of Israel's security, we paid a blood price with interest. It was true in the Oslo Accords, it was true in the Lebanon agreement in 2006, and it was true in every period of containment in Gaza that exploded in our faces," he wrote.
While expressing personal warmth toward Washington, he drew a firm line: "We love the USA and are grateful to President Trump. And yet, the State of Israel is not a banana republic."
On Lebanon specifically, Ben Gvir issued a stark warning, insisting Israel would not accept a return to pre-war conditions. "We must not compromise on anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah," he wrote, adding that every drone, UAV or missile fired at Israel from Lebanon "will lead to an Israeli strike in Dahiya."
He closed with a pointed declaration: "The days are over when the Jew took blows and kept silent. Never again."
ALSO READ: Trump Calls Netanyahu 'Very Difficult Guy', Says Israel Won't Be Around For Two Hours, If...
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