Transcript [00:00] Uh we have what right now with us [00:02] somebody uh who's a great expert [00:05] uh in the Middle East politics and [00:07] what's going on. It's Jonathan Kenrikus. [00:09] You've seen him on other media. He's a [00:10] senior fellow at FDD, Federation for [00:13] Defense of Democracies focused on Middle [00:15] East on the Middle East. Uh let's get [00:17] him on. Jonathan Kenrikus, thank you so [00:19] much for being with us. [00:20] >> First of all, I really appreciate what [00:22] you do. Ishai, super important to get [00:25] our message out there. You know, I just [00:27] came off Channel 12 News in Hebrew, uh, [00:30] one of the biggest stations in Israel, [00:32] and we were discussing the issue of [00:34] misinformation and how international [00:37] media now is focusing on the legality of [00:42] US and Israeli strikes against Iran and [00:45] on various niche incidents in Iran with [00:48] the obvious attempt to try to create a [00:52] false image, as if what Israel and the [00:55] US are doing against the Iranian regime [00:57] isn't legitimate and trying to portray [00:59] an image as if Israel is striking [01:03] civilians and causing undue civilian [01:05] harm. I find it absurd. You know, it's [01:07] it's just laughable what we're seeing [01:10] just now. You know, I'm sure you covered [01:12] it, but we have at least eight murdered [01:15] Israeli civilians as a result of a the [01:18] impact explosion of an Iranian missile [01:21] in Beamesh, not far from Jerusalem. That [01:23] adds up to two additional Israeli [01:26] civilians, two women that were murdered [01:28] yesterday by Iranian missiles. That's at [01:30] least 10 Israeli civilians murdered by [01:33] the regime. And uh what uh what what [01:36] we're seeing is that the Iranian regime [01:39] is lashing out and firing missiles [01:42] indiscriminately all across the region. [01:45] Hundreds of missiles fired at Israel [01:48] already. I'll say high number of dozens [01:49] of missiles fired at Israel already. But [01:52] you know towards the United Arab [01:54] Emirates [01:57] more than 150 missiles fired by Iran, at [02:00] the UAE, at Kuwait, at Saudi Arabia. And [02:04] there are casualties in all of these [02:05] countries. And just like in Israel, the [02:08] Iranians are firing at civilian [02:11] locations, hotels, airports, facilities [02:15] where there's large amount of civilians [02:17] there. This is what the Iranian regime [02:19] is doing. It is wanton aggression. It is [02:22] a regime that has absolutely no respect [02:25] for human life, for decency. And yet we [02:29] see a lot of the international media uh [02:31] pontificating and pundits and people and [02:34] the usual anti-Israeli crowd [02:36] pontificating about what Israel is [02:38] doing. I want to discuss the legality of [02:41] Israeli actions against Iran and put [02:43] things into historic perspective. The [02:45] Iranian regime has an outspoken official [02:49] clear objective to annihilate the Jewish [02:52] state. This is a goal of the regime. [02:55] This isn't something it's not a talking [02:57] point. It isn't something that they just [02:59] say for, you know, uh domestic political [03:02] purposes. This is a goal of the regime [03:05] and they have been pursuing this goal [03:08] with all of the assets and the [03:10] capabilities of the Iranian [03:11] establishment. They have tried to build [03:14] nuclear weapons. They have been building [03:16] hundreds and thousands of ballistic [03:18] missiles. They have armed, funded, and [03:21] equipped terror organizations around [03:24] Israel. They have directed terror [03:26] attacks against Israel for the last 30 [03:29] or even 40 years with thousands of [03:32] Israelis that have either been killed or [03:35] wounded as an indirect result of Iranian [03:38] aggression. Iran has fired ballistic [03:40] missiles at Israel. Every enemy that [03:43] Israel faces, we see Iranian [03:46] fingerprints. And if this isn't enough, [03:49] then you know in a square called [03:51] Fallstine Square in eastern Tehran, they [03:54] used to have a countdown watch that was [03:56] counting down from the year 2040, that [03:59] was the target date per the Iranian [04:02] regime for the destruction of the Jewish [04:04] state. So if that isn't enough for to [04:08] qualify for Israel to be able to take [04:10] action against this murderous regime and [04:13] say we're not going to have it anymore, [04:15] we're not going to sit here and allow [04:17] the Iranian regime to stockpile weapons [04:19] to rebuild their nuclear weapons program [04:22] to mass-produce ballistic missiles with [04:24] longer and longer range and with bigger [04:26] and bigger payload. We're not going to [04:28] sit here and wait. My only regret is [04:31] that we're doing it approximately 30 [04:33] years too late. Should have been done [04:35] long time ago and I can only regret [04:38] that. So to all of the you know the [04:40] chorus of uh Israel critics who are it's [04:44] almost Pavlovian you know they it's just [04:46] an in instinct to criticize whatever [04:49] Israel is doing. My response to them is [04:51] that what Israel is doing is lawful, [04:54] just, exactly what a sovereign country [04:57] has the absolute responsibility to do. [05:00] And the only regret is that if we're [05:02] doing it too late, and most free [05:04] countries eventually will thank us for [05:06] doing it, maybe they're not thanking us [05:08] now. Jonathan, this is a big step to [05:12] shoot and kill a head of state. This is [05:16] the first time in all of Israel's [05:18] targeted strikes to strike at a head of [05:21] state. That's like a big deal. That's [05:23] like saying your leadership is not [05:26] legitimate and I will now take the step [05:29] of of removing a country's leadership. [05:32] That's a very bold move for Israel. That [05:34] that's a different Israel than we knew [05:36] in the past. That's a that's a I call [05:38] this liberation nation. It's a much [05:40] bigger uh uh it's a much bigger thing [05:43] than just defending itself. It's saying [05:45] something about this region. Comment [05:47] about that a little bit to me what it's [05:49] what it's like for Israel to to to go [05:52] out on this limb and to eliminate a head [05:55] of state. [05:56] >> Yeah, I I think you know he's the [05:58] longest serving he was the longest [06:00] serving dictator Ali Hami I think 37 or [06:04] 38 years as the very cruel leader of the [06:08] Islamic regime, the oppressor of the [06:11] Iranian people. And um I would, you [06:14] know, downscale him a bit and I'd say [06:16] that the Iranian regime was basically a [06:19] terror organization that had a nation [06:22] state [06:24] harnessed to its capabilities. I see it [06:27] in that sense. Yes, leader, state, head [06:30] of state definitely, but I look at him [06:32] as an arc terrorist. He was the guy who [06:36] came up with the plan to annihilate [06:38] Israel. He was the driving force, the [06:40] political driving force behind building [06:42] the ring of fire of uh terrorist [06:45] organizations around Israel, [06:48] Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Houthis, etc. So, [06:53] in that sense, it's it's a pretty it's [06:55] it's like taking out Hassanah, it's like [06:58] taking out. [07:00] It's like taking out other terrorists [07:02] that we've done in the past. And it [07:04] won't be the first and I don't think [07:05] it'll be the last time that we do it. [07:07] What I think is interesting, and this is [07:09] a signal to the region, to the various [07:13] strong men of the region, and I'm [07:15] talking north and I'm talking south and [07:17] various other locations, is that well, [07:20] Israel is now willing to actually [07:23] perhaps shake free of the bonds and the [07:27] limitations that have been limiting our [07:30] ability to to defend ourselves. And [07:32] we're willing to reassess. If you are uh [07:36] driving a country uh on a direct [07:39] collision course against Israel, you are [07:41] not immune from the responsibility and [07:44] from the uh consequences that uh that [07:47] may follow. And I think that's a strong [07:49] message here to despots, strong men, [07:52] tyrants of the region. And I think it's [07:55] a very important one. I'm not saying and [07:57] uh and insinuating that this is what [07:59] Israel will do in the future. And I [08:02] don't know that we have plans to take [08:04] out other but I think it's a very [08:06] important message for terrorists whether [08:09] they are uh just heads of terror [08:11] organizations or actually lead nation [08:14] states to have that as part of their [08:16] calculations when they think and and and [08:19] ponder their strategy towards Israel. [08:21] >> Prime Minister Netanyahu he's been [08:23] talking about Iran. I have I heard him [08:26] speaking about Iran 25 years ago at Apac [08:30] talking about the dangers of a nuclear [08:31] Iran talking about this thing like this [08:33] is a big moment for him and he's [08:36] surrounded by a team uh a nationalist [08:39] government people like Israel cats uh as [08:41] defense minister the Trump [08:43] administration Marco Rubio Pete Hegsth [08:48] there's like a there's a constellation [08:50] here there's a there was an opportunity [08:53] here and it seemed to me that that he [08:55] knew inside that this opportunity cannot [08:57] be missed. Then there was this big [08:59] amassing of an armada of an American [09:01] armada. Tell me a little bit about [09:03] Netanyahu Trump, the the amassing of [09:06] these forces, uh the the effort to [09:09] negotiate, you know, I in good faith, [09:11] I'm guessing, but the failure of those [09:13] negotiations. give me a little bit of an [09:15] insight into the the people uh that made [09:19] this decision and the the the green [09:21] light uh that led to this attack and the [09:24] death of Kamei. [09:26] >> Yeah, I think uh it's many years of hard [09:28] work, many years of persistence. [09:31] I work at FDD, the foundation for [09:33] defense of democracies. my the the [09:36] superior the the seniors in my [09:38] organization like Mark Dubovitz and [09:40] Cliff May have been speaking about uh [09:43] researching petitioning against and [09:46] lobbying against the Islamic regime for [09:50] a long that time for more than 20 years. [09:53] So it's a very big moment for anybody in [09:56] the world who values freedom, who [09:59] cherishes uh human life, who cherishes [10:02] the rule of law, civil liberties, [10:05] democracy. Um it it it's a great moment [10:08] because for the first time in a very [10:10] long time, an evil, oppressive regime is [10:14] being held accountable for its horrible [10:16] actions. Uh I am very grateful for the [10:19] alliance that we have with the US. I am [10:22] very grateful for the leadership of [10:24] President Trump. I think this would not [10:26] have happened without him, his team, his [10:29] uh team of senior cabinet members and uh [10:34] the people that you mentioned, Secretary [10:37] of State Rubio, Secretary of War [10:39] Hegsith, and many of the other people [10:42] surrounding the president, I think, are [10:44] exactly the type of American patriots [10:46] that think, okay, what we're going to do [10:48] here is work together with the strongest [10:51] and the most serious ally that we have [10:54] in the region, which is Israel, no [10:56] doubt. And together, we're going to do [10:57] some heavy lifting, and we're going to [10:59] serve American purposes. We're going to [11:01] do good for the US by actually working [11:04] with the Israelis. The Israelis know how [11:07] to fight. The Israelis put their uh [11:09] money where their mouth is, and we're [11:11] going to do it together. And this is [11:12] going to be good for the US in the long [11:15] run. It's going to be good for the US [11:17] because everybody in the world in China, [11:20] in Russia, and everybody and all all [11:22] other places, they're watching and they [11:25] are taking notice. They're taking notice [11:27] of this American leadership. They are [11:29] attentive to the fact that when the US [11:32] president lays down a deadline, you [11:34] better adapt to it and you better honor [11:37] that deadline or else there are [11:39] consequences. uh the world is now seeing [11:41] that and that is something that I think [11:44] has um has had a bit of uh depreciating [11:48] value over the years and I'm happy to [11:50] see that restore. The US is working [11:52] together with Israel to flex its flex [11:55] its muscles in the region. And I think [11:57] when this operation is done, the US will [12:01] be in the most dominant strategic [12:04] position globally to pursue the national [12:08] interest of the US. Thanks to the fact [12:10] that the US is partnering up with Israel [12:13] and demolishing a a an old and bitter [12:17] enemy of the US, the Islamic Republic of [12:20] Iran. So this is a it's a great moment [12:22] of cooperation. We're doing good for the [12:25] region. We are doing good for Israel, [12:27] for the US, for the Iranian people. You [12:30] know, I won't be hypocritical and say [12:32] that this, you know, we're risking the [12:34] lives of Israeli pilots to free the [12:36] Iranian people. We aren't and that would [12:38] be dishonest to say, but I'm happy to [12:40] say that we are do that this has the [12:43] added er effect of also giving the [12:46] Iranian people the best opportunity that [12:48] they will ever have to actually reclaim [12:50] the country. But this is America first [12:53] from an American perspective. Israel is [12:56] very happy that this is happening. And I [12:59] can say that I'm uh happy how you know [13:01] the the level of intimacy and absolute [13:06] 100% transparent cooperation planning [13:10] between US and Israeli armed forces. [13:12] I've never seen anything like it. It is [13:14] unprecedented. And I think the results [13:16] show just how close and how well [13:19] coordinated we are. and I hope that [13:21] we'll be able to continue to operate at [13:24] this worldclass level of military uh [13:28] operations. [13:30] Jonathan Kenrikus is a senior fellow at [13:32] FDD, Federation for Defense of [13:34] Democracies, focused on Middle East. Uh [13:36] he served in the IDEA for 24 years as a [13:39] military diplomat as well. uh in in in [13:41] the field of battle first, then a [13:43] military diplomat, uh finishing retiring [13:45] as lieutenant colonel, and continuing [13:47] now the fight on the battlefront of the [13:49] narrative warfare. [13:51] really one of the most um eloquent and [13:54] strong speakers that we have out there [13:55] uh to defend Israel's rights and to [13:58] defend our rights to prosecute this war [14:01] uh against terrorism, against regional [14:04] jihadism uh against the people who have [14:07] called for so many years death of [14:08] America, death to Israel, and now [14:10] they're the ones to go. I was [14:12] particularly happy, by the way, to also [14:13] see the death of Ahmed Nad. Did that not [14:16] feel satisfying to see the guy who stood [14:18] on stage there and said and said for so [14:21] long you know the a world without [14:23] Zionism to see a world without Ahmedad. [14:25] Wasn't that a special thing? [14:27] >> Yeah. You know in he in Arabic we say [14:32] every dog has his day and Ahmad Ahad was [14:35] really a purveyor of hatred of violence [14:39] of bigotry. He was an extremely cruel [14:42] oppressor of the Iranian people. He [14:45] really was a driving force behind [14:47] regional terrorism of the Iranian regime [14:50] in the Middle East. And he was an enemy [14:52] of the Jewish people. He was an enemy of [14:55] freedom. He was a bad and evil man. He [14:58] was also he made it easy in in a certain [15:01] sense to explain what the Iranian regime [15:03] was about because he was honest and [15:05] truthful. He hates Israel. He hates Jews [15:08] and he wanted to destroy the Jewish [15:10] state. and he was actually, you know, [15:12] blunt enough to say it out in the open [15:14] and we didn't have to read between the [15:16] lines. So, I'm happy that he is no [15:19] longer walking among us. And that's [15:23] another good message for all of the [15:24] terrorists. It may take us time. It may [15:27] take us uh years. eventually when you do [15:31] uh wrong, when you when you try to hurt [15:34] Israel, when you're an enemy of Israel, [15:36] when you're an enemy of the free world, [15:37] when you try to kill Americans, [15:40] eventually uh we will catch up to you. [15:42] And I think it's a good development that [15:44] he is no longer alive. And uh of course, [15:47] poetic justice. He wanted to see the [15:50] undoing of the state of Israel. He has [15:52] now been undone by the state of Israel [15:54] and the US. And that's a positive thing. [15:57] Jonathan Kenriquez, thank you so much [15:59] for being with us. We'll be calling on [16:00] you again in the next few days. God [16:02] bless you. Stay strong out there. Thanks [16:03] for the fight. God bless you. [16:05] >> Thank you, Shai.
