Defense Minister Zohar Says Israel Holds Back on Iran Out of Respect for US
Israeli Defense Minister Miki Zohar stated in a Channel 14 interview on Tuesday that Israel is fully capable of destroying Iran's infrastructure alone but refrains from attacking out of respect for the United States. He emphasized that Israel "does a favor" for the US by not striking Iran and warned that if nuclear issues remain unresolved, Israel will take decisive action to leave nothing intact in Iran. Zohar also highlighted former President Donald Trump's awareness of Israel's capabilities in this regard.
Regarding Turkey, Zohar described it as a significant threat under President Erdogan's leadership, asserting that peaceful relations are impossible as long as the current regime remains. He noted Israel's vigilant monitoring of developments there and stressed the need for Israel to prepare independently, especially in terms of armaments.
On the political front, Zohar urged the Likud party to secure reserved spots on its electoral list to broaden appeal and warned against complacency within the right-wing camp ahead of the elections. He stressed the importance of high voter turnout to avoid disappointing results and called for unity to prevent losing votes to parties that might not pass the electoral threshold. Zohar warned that vote splitting in the right-wing bloc would be disastrous.
He criticized cooperation with Arab parties, labeling them "anti-Zionist" and asserting that such alliances undermine Israel's deterrence and security. Zohar claimed Hamas leader Sinwar exploited perceived government weaknesses from previous coalitions involving Mansour Abbas, leading to increased security threats. He concluded that the public must understand that lack of deterrence against these groups risks dangerous escalations.
