Michael (Mike) George Waltz, born in 1974 in Florida, is one of the most prominent national security figures in the Republican leadership. Part of a family that served in the US Navy, he became an officer in the US Army's Special Forces.
Over a 27-year military career he served in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa, earned four Bronze Stars, two of them for heroism in combat, and retired with the rank of colonel. He is considered the first member of Congress to have come from the Green Berets.
After leaving the military he held key positions in the US government, including security policy adviser at the Defense Department and adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018, where he served on the Intelligence Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee and chaired the Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military readiness.
With the establishment of the second Trump administration, Waltz was appointed national security adviser but was removed from the position following the "Signal" affair, in which a journalist was mistakenly added to a secret chat where US strikes in Yemen were being discussed and Israeli intelligence was exposed. In September he began serving as US ambassador to the UN, where he has taken a forceful stance against global anti-Israeli trends and has worked to improve the efficiency of UN institutions.
In January 2025 he stated that Hamas is "a murderous, brutal kidnapping organization" and that it must not be allowed any role in governing Gaza. He said Gaza must undergo full demilitarization and that Israel must be ensured the ability to exercise its right to self-defense.
His positions on Israel are unequivocal. Waltz supports Israel's right to defend itself, has called for strong action against the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations, and has argued that Iran's nuclear facilities and oil export infrastructure should be targeted.
He was among the leading voices condemning the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, calling the ICC biased and anti-Israeli. He has also expressed firm support for the Abraham Accords and has called for expanding them to additional countries, foremost among them Saudi Arabia.
Mike Waltz and other senior US officials will take part in the Israel Hayom summit in New York on December 2.
Tickets here: https://tickchak.co.il/Israel1
