MK-elect Danny Danon (Likud), the former ambassador of Israel to the United Nations, was interviewed by Channel 13 News on Sunday evening and said that he is interested in being appointed as the Speaker of the new Knesset, and that he will not settle for another position. Danon also said that members of the Likud will demand senior positions in the government that will be formed: "I am very direct. We (the Likud members) will not settle for crumbs. We will ask during the negotiations for the Likud to have senior positions." On his desire to become Knesset Speaker, Danon said, "I conveyed a very clear message. I come with a lot of experience, both at the parliamentary level and at the diplomatic level. I marked the position of Knesset Speaker for me, not the position of Coalition Chairman, and I think I'm the most suitable for the job." When asked if he would threaten Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu using this demand, Danon replied, "In the end, the one who decides is Netanyahu, he is the captain. He looks at the seniority, the skills and the ability." He added, "I have the ability to both bring together as well as contribute to the coalition. If he decides that I will sit on the bench, that's his decision." "I didn't aim for this position for nothing. I saw from the outside what happened to the Knesset in the last year, how things went, its status both in Israel and in the world deteriorated greatly, so I am aiming for a specific goal." He continued, "In the world of sports, any player who is benched is not happy. Your abilities are not reflected and you cannot contribute to the team." Related articles: 'UN blaming Israel after October 7 is not acceptable' Danon demands action on antisemitism at Columbia and Barnard Mezuzah made of trees from the Gaza border area 'Hamas has no place in Gaza's future' On the issue of appointing candidates from outside the Knesset to the position of ministers in the government, he said, "Why bring in from outside? There is an excellent slate, ministers should be appointed from it. They are the ones who ran for the Knesset and worked very hard, and they should be appointed ministers before all the talented and good people who are out there." Regarding the possibility that Ron Dermer would be appointed to the position of Foreign Minister, Danon said that "there are better candidates in the Likud."
