New Delhi:
Israel has the right and obligation to retaliate after Iran fired at least 180 missiles into the country on October 1, the country’s ambassador to India Reuven Azar has said.
In an interview during the NDTV World Summit on Monday, Mr. Azar said that Israel would like peace and stability in the region, but that a situation cannot arise where Iran is free to attack whenever it wants.
Mr. Azar also said that as a rising power, India has a substantial role to play in the Middle East and its importance will only increase every year.
Asked about reports that Israel could respond to the Iranian attack before November 5 elections in the US – which is its most important ally – the ambassador said: “The US elections do not play a role. What is a factor is that we have not only the right, but also the obligation to retaliate. “Imagine a situation where a country like Iran is able to threaten any country in the region without any repercussions… this is completely unacceptable.”
Mr. Azar said Israel wants to promote stability in the region and it is doing so with its peace deals with Jordan and Egypt, the Abraham Accords with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, and dialogue with Saudi Arabia.
“We have proven after the attack by Iran that we are capable of defending the airspace of the Middle East against the Iranian threat, but we cannot find ourselves in a situation where the Iranians feel free to attack us at any time . This is why the building block for security must be complemented by our retaliation,” he said.
‘Neutralized missile threat’
On the assassination of leaders like Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and the fact that the group has regrouped in the past, Mr. Azar said the situation is very different now.
“What we have achieved right now in the Gaza Strip is that we have defeated the terrorist army of Hamas in a way that they cannot pose a missile threat to Israel. We destroyed their missile factories. We have sealed the border between the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip and Sinai, so it will be much more difficult to rearm,” he said.
The ambassador admitted that they failed to return all hostages from the October 7, 2023 attack and remove Hamas from the government. The latter, he said, is being worked on by finding a way to distribute aid to the population in Gaza so that Hamas cannot hold them hostage.
The balance, the ambassador claimed, is changing in Israel’s favor in its conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah.
Indian century
Asked about India’s role in West Asia and in ending conflicts, Mr. Azar said the country will contribute a lot to the region and the world.
“India is a rising power. I looked at the data and saw that in the next year, if India grows at seven percent, India will grow by $260 billion… our (Israeli) economy is worth $600 billion. India has to make a huge contribution to the world. It will be a power station, a production center, and it must be connected to the world. Expanding ties with the UAE has a lot to offer to the countries of West Asia,” he noted.
The envoy added: “When all this infrastructure of connectivity is set up, we will see an incredible role of India in our region. It won’t just be about merchandise, it will be about manufacturing… We depend on India’s goodwill, on India’s investments, on our cooperation with India, and that role will grow every year.”