The country’s Ambassador to India Reuven Azar has said that it is Israel’s right and duty to retaliate after Iran fired at least 180 missiles at it on October 1.
In an interview during the NDTV World Summit on Monday, Mr. Azar said Israel is interested in peace and stability in the region, but there cannot be a situation where Iran is free to attack whenever it wants.
Mr Azar also said that, as an emerging power, India has an important role to play in the Middle East and its importance will only increase every year.
Asked about reports that Israel could respond to an Iranian attack before the US elections – its most important ally – are held on November 5, the ambassador said, “The US elections are not a factor. The factor is that it is not only our right but also our duty to retaliate. Imagine a situation in which a country like Iran is capable of threatening any country in the region without any consequences. Is unacceptable.”
Mr. Azar said Israel wants to promote stability in the region and is doing so with its peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt, the Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan and negotiations with Saudi Arabia .
“After Iran’s attack we have proved that we are capable of protecting the skies of the Middle East from the Iranian threat, but we cannot live in a situation in which the Iranians feel free to attack us at any point .That’s why the security building blocks have to be complemented by our countermeasures,” he said.
‘Missile threat neutralized’
On the killing of leaders like Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and the fact that the organization has regrouped in the past, Mr. Azar said the situation is very different now.
“What we have managed to achieve in the Gaza Strip at the moment is that we have defeated the terrorist forces of Hamas in such a way that they cannot pose a missile threat to Israel. We destroyed their missile factories We have sealed the border.” Gaza Strip and Sinai, so it will be more difficult to re-arm,” he said.
The ambassador admitted that they will not be able to bring back all the hostages and remove Hamas from the government after the October 7, 2023 attack. Later, he said, work is being done to find a way to distribute aid to the population in Gaza so that Hamas cannot hold them hostage.
The ambassador claimed that the balance in the conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah is shifting in Israel’s favor.
indian century
Asked about India’s role in ending further conflicts in West Asia, Mr Azar said the country would contribute greatly to the region and the world.
“India is a rising power. I was looking at the data and I saw that next year, when India grows at seven percent, it will grow by $260 billion… Our (Israel’s) economy is $600 billion. So what India has to do is to make a huge contribution to the world, it is going to be a manufacturing hub and I have seen how India is growing its relations with the UAE. ” he said.
The envoy said, “When all this connectivity infrastructure is ready, we will see an incredible role for India in our region. It will not just be about goods, it will be about manufacturing… We depend on goodwill ” India’s role, India’s investment, our cooperation with India, and that role is going to grow every year.”
