Transcript [00:00] Rabbi Wicki is going to join us from [00:01] Jerusalem here. And um the Jerusalem [00:03] Post did post a response. It's a little [00:06] more it's a little edgier than the first [00:10] one they gave. In response to Trump's, [00:12] and I'm quoting the Jerusalem Post, in [00:14] response to Trump's statements, the [00:16] central headquarters of the Iranian [00:18] armed forces said that it will fully [00:21] close the straight of Hormuz if, and I [00:25] quote here, America's threats regarding [00:28] Iran's power plants are implemented, [00:30] unquote. [00:31] President's given them now [00:34] a little over 24 hours. He put it out on [00:36] True Social the other day at 4:44 [00:40] p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Gave him 48 [00:42] hours. [00:43] It's going to be fully open or you're [00:45] going to pay the price. And we're taking [00:47] down your entire energy and electric [00:49] infrastructure. You just heard back from [00:52] um I guess the question people have, are [00:54] they a cornered rat or they a cornered [00:56] grizzly? Uh Rabbi, first off, uh Israel, [01:00] Jerusalem taking a kind of a pounding uh [01:03] every what's what's the what's the [01:04] report? What's the sitrep on how the [01:06] people in Israel are doing? [01:09] >> Well, the people in Israel are resilient [01:10] and uh everyone is I've never seen so [01:13] much discipline in terms of going to the [01:16] bomb shelters, making, you know, we get [01:18] these pre-warnings when there's missiles [01:20] on the way and then air raid sirens in [01:23] whatever region they're going to land in [01:25] uh and and everyone goes to the bomb [01:27] shelters. And that's why despite all of [01:29] the rocket attacks and even a lot of [01:31] hits in the last few days, the casualty [01:34] numbers have been quite low in terms of [01:37] deaths, they're extremely low. I think [01:38] we had one or two deaths in the last uh [01:41] uh over the weekend. And that was the [01:43] first deaths in a while, although there [01:45] have been hundreds who who have been [01:46] wounded uh since uh it's now and Iran [01:50] together with coordinated uh salvos all [01:53] at, you know, all at the same time. And [01:55] they're also using cluster munitions [01:56] which are obviously much more difficult [01:59] to intercept because because they split [02:01] into so many different rockets. So, and [02:04] again, let's just remind ourselves again [02:06] that they specifically are always [02:07] targeting civilian targets. Uh which but [02:10] uh you know, we're okay. We get the air [02:12] raid sirens, go into the into the safe [02:14] room, got some snacks in there, wait it [02:16] out. And it's an interesting atmosphere [02:18] in Israel because while all that is [02:20] going on, there's actually a uh a sense [02:22] of of kind of satisfaction and even [02:24] relief that we're actually doing this [02:26] war on terms that are beneficial to us [02:30] because we've always known for years, [02:31] decades, that at some point in the [02:33] future there was going to be a big war [02:35] with the Iranians and the only question [02:37] was how bad would it be? What would the [02:39] conditions be? And uh you know so there [02:42] there's a real sense that when we get on [02:44] the other side of this we will finally [02:47] uh for the first time in decades not be [02:49] living under the threat of this of this [02:52] Iranian regime as we have been for so [02:54] long. [02:56] >> Well the the the the you talk about [02:58] civilians. Correct me if I'm wrong, but [03:00] two Saturdays ago, there was essentially [03:02] a firebombing or equivalent of [03:04] firebombing of oil facilities, [03:07] uh, storage facilities in Thran against [03:09] a standing order of the [03:11] commander-in-chief. Uh, and we've heard [03:13] a whole lot of handwaving about that. [03:15] Uh, but civilians have been targeted in [03:17] in in Thran. They've got civilian cu [03:20] they're not putting out the number of [03:20] civilian casualties to keep down the [03:22] thing. [03:23] Do you believe and and and BB talked [03:25] about this yesterday, is there is there [03:27] actually a belief in Israel right now by [03:29] any of the citizens in Israel that [03:32] there's going to be an uprising against [03:34] this regime by the Persian people or [03:36] have we turned this into now they're all [03:38] Persians and it's a nationalist campaign [03:40] of the Persians versus Israel in the [03:43] United States and all the West? [03:46] >> What? No, not at all. I mean, uh, there [03:48] will absolutely be an uprising by the [03:50] Persian people, but they haven't been [03:51] called back out into the streets yet. [03:52] Not by Trump, not by Netanyahu, not by [03:55] anyone else or whatever, the crown [03:56] prince or whoever else they would listen [03:58] to. They haven't been called back out [04:00] into the streets yet. And there's no [04:01] reason for them to come back out into [04:03] the streets. They've actually been told [04:04] to hold off. It's simple math. So long [04:07] as the IRGC and the besiege forces are [04:10] being degraded day by day, and they are, [04:13] there's no reason for the people to come [04:15] out. This isn't there's no rush for them [04:17] to come out into the streets. The worst [04:19] thing that could happen in this war for [04:20] the Iranian people is for them to come [04:23] out into the streets before the besiege [04:25] and the IRGC are are uh are weakened and [04:29] and while they would still have the [04:32] ability to suppress the protests and to [04:35] and to kill more people that would be [04:36] the worst case scenario. It would set [04:38] everything back. So the people are [04:39] staying in their homes until maximum [04:42] degradation of the IRGC and the besieged [04:44] forces. That's what's going on now. [04:45] >> But hang on. But but hang but hang on. [04:48] Admiral Cooper, it couldn't be clearer [04:50] in ad except for the first couple of [04:52] days of the war when there was talk of [04:53] unconditional surrender and one of the [04:55] war's objectives was no power projection [04:58] against their own people. It's always [05:00] been the the the bullet point above [05:02] that's always been power degrade their [05:04] power ability for power projection [05:07] against [05:08] uh entities nations in the region being [05:12] both Israel and our Arab allies our Arab [05:16] allies in quotes um that that's Admiral [05:19] Cooper couldn't be clearer the last two [05:21] weeks of pres of of of um briefings [05:25] specifically exclude power projection [05:27] against their own people. So, if that's [05:30] not an objective on the declawing and [05:32] defanging, clearly it's not because it's [05:35] not talked about, how are they supposed [05:37] to how are they supposed to think about [05:39] it? Because when they hear this, how are [05:40] they supposed to think about it as, oh, [05:42] they're doing against the allies, but [05:44] they're not going to actually get they [05:46] can't get by air all these bad ombres, [05:49] and so there's no chance that we're [05:50] going to have a chance to go into the [05:52] streets, sir. [05:54] >> Well, the Israelis have been talking [05:55] about it. our our officials have been [05:57] talking about it non-stop that what the [06:00] Israelis are focused on now while the [06:01] Americans are you you know we really [06:03] have multiple wars going on there's the [06:05] there's what's going on in the Persian [06:06] Gulf in the straits of Hormuz which is [06:07] much more the American arena and what [06:09] the Israelis have been busy with is [06:11] degrading the besiege in the IRGC [06:13] hitting their targets uh and uh and and [06:16] knocking out their command centers [06:18] knocking out their bases knocking out [06:19] their leadership with these targeted [06:21] hits and they're just degrading them and [06:24] they've also said the Israeli officials [06:26] have said that when the time comes for [06:28] the Iranian people to come out into the [06:29] streets, they will be hovering with [06:31] drones protecting them from the besiege [06:34] and the IRGC. They're going to be there [06:37] uh you know providing air cover to the [06:39] protests when the time comes for those [06:41] things to happen. And anything you're [06:43] hearing about the Iranian people [06:45] rallying around the regime is absolute [06:47] nonsense. There's no basis in reality [06:49] for that whatsoever. I don't know where [06:51] I don't know where that's coming from. [06:53] That's a I mean that's just not that [06:55] just has no basis in reality. They're [06:57] waiting. [06:57] >> I think I think that I think I think [06:59] that's I think that's coming from every [07:01] report you see there in in the streets [07:03] etc. Have you seen a report have you [07:05] seen a news report that says anything [07:07] different? [07:08] Can you cite it? [07:09] >> I mean the the people aren't in the [07:12] streets. I don't know what kind of news [07:13] report would say that the people are [07:14] rallying. What evidence? [07:15] >> They just had a huge they just had a hu [07:17] they just had a huge rally. They just [07:19] had a huge rally the other day for [07:21] >> listen they have their they have their [07:23] >> okay listen they have their supporters [07:25] the besiege and the IRGC together [07:28] >> together it's very similar to the [07:29] Chinese Communist Party if you add up [07:31] the besiege and the chi and the and the [07:32] IRGC just the fighting men you probably [07:35] have about 600,000 people add their [07:38] families together you're dealing with [07:40] probably a couple of million people who [07:42] are the ruling class that's the regime [07:45] it's about you know it's it's uh it's [07:48] less than 10% of the population [07:50] oppresses the rest of them. When you see [07:52] these big rallies in the streets, that's [07:54] all that's all the regime people. That's [07:57] that those are the people who come out [07:58] who come out there. But that has but [08:00] that's that's all photo ops. That's not [08:02] the numbers. That's not the people in [08:04] the street. The Iranian look, Steve, [08:06] over the last few years, and this is the [08:08] Iranians themselves bemoning this. Out [08:11] of the 75,000 mosques in Iran, 50,000 of [08:16] them have closed because no one shows up [08:18] to them. The Iranian people are not of [08:20] the ide of that Islamic Shiite ideology [08:23] of the regime by and large. Probably 75 [08:26] 80% of the people reject the regime [08:28] outright. they will come out into the [08:30] streets as they have in the past, but [08:33] this time there's no reason for them to [08:35] while this war is still ongoing from the [08:37] air with the with the leadership of the [08:39] of the of these forces being degraded. [08:42] Uh I I think there's a lot of [08:43] misinformation here about what about [08:45] what's actually happening in Iran. The [08:47] truth is with the internet blackout, the [08:49] only people who have internet are either [08:51] the a sele a few people who have [08:53] Starlink and the regime is targeting [08:55] them or people who are part of the [08:57] regime. Meaning almost by definition, if [09:00] you're seeing stuff coming out from Iran [09:03] on the internet, it's coming from people [09:05] aligned with the regime. And that's that [09:07] that's part of what makes this a strange [09:09] war. We don't there's no because there's [09:11] no ground operation. There's no embedded [09:13] journalists. We don't have independent [09:15] reporting here. We really only have what [09:17] gets filtered through from from uh from [09:20] what the regime allows out. Uh but I I [09:23] don't see any reason to think that the [09:26] trend Iranian but still over the last [09:29] but you're not dealing with Hang on. [09:31] Hang on. You're you're not you're not [09:32] you're not dealing with information. [09:34] You're dealing with you say this matter. [09:36] You're dealing with supposition that you [09:38] could be correct. You could be correct. [09:40] You could also be dead wrong. Right. [09:43] >> I mean listen the history of the [09:45] behavior of the Iranian. [09:48] >> Yep. [09:50] Shows what [09:50] >> I'm saying. the history the history of [09:52] these people shows it. There's no I mean [09:54] there's the all the mass protests we've [09:57] seen over the years and like I told you [09:58] for example that indicator of the of of [10:00] mosque attendance which is a a [10:02] well-known indicator the the the Iranian [10:05] people by huge percentages are are [10:09] against this regime and they're not [10:10] going to reverse course because the [10:13] regime is getting pounded. That doesn't [10:15] make any sense. They would only they [10:16] would they would only they they would [10:18] only reverse course if you made it if [10:20] you brought them to a nationalist [10:23] movement of Persians. It's us versus [10:25] Israel and us versus the United States [10:26] which Israel with the attack on tan two [10:29] Saturdays ago and then the attack [10:32] against a standing order of the [10:33] commander-in-chief of the United States [10:36] against this oil field which is [10:37] outrageous and to me all the issues [10:39] about you know imminent attack and [10:41] everything like that that that's got to [10:42] wait for another day because we're in [10:44] the middle of a shooting war right now. [10:45] We have American young men and women [10:48] exposed, but we have a partner and we [10:50] have a joint, as Dan Senior tells us [10:52] every day on CNN, we have a joint [10:55] command targeting operation. And yet our [10:57] allies, quote unquote, our greatest ally [11:00] continues to do things against the [11:03] commands of the president, United [11:04] States, which is to attack Iranian uh [11:07] oil infrastructure and particularly [11:09] attack this gas field, which has totally [11:11] changed the makeup of this war in the [11:13] last 72 hours. Sir. [11:16] >> Well, Steve, you know, it depends what [11:18] we pick and choose to believe. When [11:20] Axios first reported it, they wrote [11:22] explicitly behind the scenes. Two [11:25] Israeli and US officials said the strike [11:27] on the gas facility was coordinated [11:30] between the Israeli prime minister's [11:32] office and the White House. That's a [11:33] quote from Axios when it was first [11:35] reported. The Wall Street Journal [11:36] reported the same thing. And then [11:37] afterwards, it was said, "No, no, no, [11:39] no, it was just the Israelis and Trump [11:40] was upset." But unlike I I wouldn't say [11:43] this is the same thing as what happened [11:44] in June where Trump was like actually [11:46] dropped an F-bomb and was really upset [11:48] at the Israelis for continuing after [11:50] that ceasefire. This is not the same [11:53] thing. You don't I mean Trump two days [11:55] later made a similar threat to them. I I [11:58] don't think it's out of the question [12:00] that there was a game of good cop bad [12:03] cop going on here. [12:04] >> Hang on. [12:06] Oh [12:07] >> I mean that's how it was reported. See, [12:08] you're saying so you're saying what [12:10] actually was first said it was reported [12:12] and then the president of United States [12:13] came out and said clearly I don't know [12:14] what you're talking about. I didn't [12:16] approve anything. You're saying hey look [12:18] to think of the reality that that was [12:21] that that was a uh a uh don't ask for [12:24] permission, right? Skull me later that [12:26] it was actually a wink and a nod from [12:28] the United States to go hit that. [12:29] >> I don't I don't know what to believe, [12:31] but I'm saying that I'm saying that [12:33] Trump's behavior in the wake of this one [12:35] was not the same as what we saw in June. [12:37] We didn't see that kind of rage and [12:39] fbombs. He said, "I told the Israelis [12:40] not to do it." And then he turned it [12:42] around into a threat on the Iranians. [12:44] And the threat he just made the other [12:46] the other day, this 48 hour threat is [12:48] essentially the same threat again. So I [12:50] think it's not out of the question that [12:52] this especially considering the level of [12:55] coordination here. It the Israelis are [12:57] not fools. Why would they in the at this [13:00] stage of the war, why would they risk [13:01] blowing up the relationship with [13:04] President Trump at at a time like that? [13:06] It makes no sense. I think it is [13:08] entirely possible and again saying that [13:11] they spoke to people in the Trump [13:12] administration who said they knew. [13:14] >> Hang on. It's it's it's [13:16] very simple because there are strong [13:19] elements in the United States and the [13:21] American government looking for an [13:22] offramp and Israel doesn't want an [13:24] offramp. They want to they want to stick [13:26] to the bitter end. Hang. Hang on, Rabbi. [13:28] We're going to get right back to you. [13:29] We're going to talk about what's [13:30] happening in Lebanon.
