On April 14, Iran attacked Israel with 331 missiles and UAVs making it one of the strongest retaliations in recent times. This was reportedly in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, two weeks ago. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel and the region has been under siege since.
While Iran and Israel have been regional rivals for a long time, this escalating war in the region has become a matter of global concern. In this exclusive chat with The Daily Guardian, the Consul General of Israel to South India, Tammy Ben-Haim, talks about Israel-Iran relations and next steps where Israel is concerned.
Q: The attack on Israel by Iran is perceived as a result of the Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate in Syria. Is this a correct perception?
A: Iran has been threatening and trying to destroy Israel for decades. It establishes, funds, arms and trains proxies all around the Middle East to fulfil its goals – to destroy Israel and destabilize the Middle East. The IRGC general who was killed in Damascus, Zahedi, had a main role of directing Iran’s terror proxies in trying to achieve their goals, including the planning of the October 7 massacre; in which Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory.
The terrorists brutalized, raped, and murdered some 1200 people and kidnapped over 250 people, including children and young women, back into Gaza. The terrorists are still holding hostage 133 of them. Iran’s intent to kill as many Israelis as possible is clearly seen in the attack this weekend When you shoot over 320 armed projectiles timed to hit Israel at the same moment, when you use three different weapon types—cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and UAVs suicide drones, you’re clearly looking to penetrate Israel’s defenses and kill as many Israelis as possible.
Q: Was this attack by Iran anticipated?
A: This attack marked a clear further escalation by Iran which has been attacking Israel for years, and particularly since October 7 on an almost daily basis through its terror proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and other groups based in Syria and Iraq. Now the regime is attacking Israel directly from Iranian soil.
Q: How well is Israel prepared (defence-wise) for any further attacks by Iran?
A: Israel has shown that it is prepared. Our advanced aerial defense system and our close work with our allies, including the United State, Britain, France, and others, have shown that we are prepared and able to stop such attacks. The intent of the Iranian regime was to kill and destroy; the fact that the damage was limited is only due to our capabilities. That being said, Amina, a 7-year-old Arab Israeli girl, was critically injured by an Iranian missile.
She is currently undergoing surgery and please do pray for her recovery.
Q: What steps is Israel taking to diffuse the situation since tensions have rapidly escalated now?
A: Israel is looking into any and all options to keep Israel and the people living in Israel safe and secure. Our Cabinet is convening, so are the heads of the Israel Defense Forces, our ministers are in touch with our allies. Just yesterday, 14/4, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz had a call with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S Jaishankar and they said they would speak further.
Q: Many countries have condemned the attack on Israel by Iran. What role do you think countries like the US, UK and India should play to resolve this issue?
A: The international community and our allies and friends such as the US, UK, and India play an important role. The fact that so many countries, and the G7 as well, were quick to condemn this unprecedented attack and support Israel means a lot to us. It is also important that terrorist-supporting regimes and terrorist organizations understand that we are all united against this terror threat.