Defense Minister Israel Katz declared this evening (Thursday) in an interview with Yaakov Bardugo that Israel possesses independent operational capabilities and is ready to act against Iran at any time. In his remarks, the Minister emphasized that Israel does not depend on the active participation of American forces in the fighting itself. “Israel is prepared at any moment for a ‘Blue and White’ operation in Iran,” Katz said, adding: “We have never asked the United States to fight alongside us in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria—we only want a diplomatic umbrella to protect us.”
1+During the interview, the Defense Minister detailed the strategic achievements of the recent campaign against Tehran’s proxies and its nuclear program. According to him, cooperation with the U.S. administration led to dramatic results on the ground that changed the regional balance of power. “We shattered Iran’s power, eliminated the leader of Iran, struck the leadership, the nuclear scientists, and the infrastructure. We destroyed Iran’s nuclear program, and now we must ensure that it does not return,” the Minister noted.
Katz addressed Israel’s unique standing in the eyes of the administration in Washington, noting that the American President views Israel as a premier strategic partner. He revealed that in closed-door conversations, Israel was given a nickname that testifies to the strength of the alliance between the two countries. “Do you know what the President of the United States said about us? He called us a ‘Model Ally.’ It is important to understand, we are the only ones in the world they call that, because we acted here with power and attacked together,” the Defense Minister explained during the interview.
1+In addition, the Minister compared Israel’s commitment to the United States with that of other countries belonging to the NATO alliance, noting that Israel was the only country that stood by the Americans at the moment of testing. “None of the NATO countries stood by his side even though he turned to them. The fact is that he turned to us—we were there and we are there, both because of our interest to remove threats of destruction and because of the interest of the United States.”