New Delhi:
Israel has a right and duty to retaliate after Iran fired at least 180 missiles at it on October 1, the country’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has said.
In an interview during the The HindkeshariWorld Summit on Monday, Mr Azar said Israel is keen on peace and stability in the region but it cannot have a situation where Iran is free to attack whenever it likes.
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 stating that Israel could respond to the Iranian attack before elections are held in the US – which is its most important ally – on November 5, the ambassador said, “The US elections are not a factor. What is a factor is that we have not only a right but a duty to retaliate. Imagine a situation in which a country like Iran is capable of threatening 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 that with its peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt, the Abraham Accords with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, and dialogue with Saudi Arabia.
“We have proved after the attack by Iran that we are capable of defending the skies of the Middle East from the Iranian threat, but we cannot be in a situation in which the Iranians feel free to attack us at any point. This is why the security building block has to be complemented by our retaliation,” he said.
‘Neutralised Missile Threat’
On the killing of leaders like Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and the fact that the outfit has regrouped in the past, Mr Azar said the situation is very different now.
“What we have managed to achieve in the Gaza Strip right now is that we have defeated the terrorist army of Hamas in a way that they cannot pose a missile threat to Israel. We have destroyed their missile factories. We have sealed the border between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai, so it will be much more difficult to re-arm,” he said.
The ambassador admitted that they have not been able to bring back all the hostages from the October 7, 2023, attack and remove Hamas from government. The latter, he said, is being worked on by finding a way to distribute assistance to the population in Gaza so that Hamas cannot hold them hostage.
The balance, the ambassador claimed, is changing in Israel’s favour in its conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah.
Indian Century
Asked about India’s role in West Asia and in ending the conflicts, Mr Azar said the country will contribute a lot to the region and the world.
“India is a rising power. I was looking at the data and I saw that in the next year, when India grows by seven per cent, it will grow by $260 billion… our (Israel’s) economy is $600 billion. So what India has to contribute to the world is huge. It is going to be a powerhouse, a manufacturing hub, and it needs to be connected to the world. It has a lot to offer to countries in West Asia. I have seen how India is increasing its links with the UAE,” he noted.
The envoy added, “When all this infrastructure of connectivity is set, we are going to see an incredible role of India in our region. It won’t be just about merchandise, it will be about manufacturing… We depend on the goodwill of India, on the investments of India, on our cooperation with India and that role is going to increase every year.”