Prof. Gideon Ben-Ze'evi on Channel 12

Ben-Ze'evi explained that Israel’s enduring plan was to establish "Greater Israel" under American sponsorship and with the blessing of all Arab nations. However, Iran—through its regional "arms" spanning Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen—has successfully obstructed this project.

The Professor identified Israel's greatest strategic error as forcing President Trump to withdraw from the Iranian Nuclear Deal. He noted that while the deal capped enrichment at 15%, it has now surged to 60%, leaving Iran on the cusp of weaponization. He sparked alarm by suggesting Iran may already possess a nuclear bomb, citing their repeated claims of "surprise weapons."

He concluded by contrasting the Arab and Iranian peoples, describing the former as "tolerant and kind" despite Israeli massacres, while characterizing the Iranians as an "exceptional, stubborn, and determined" people who cannot be defeated. He warned that while Israel is the size of a single city like Tehran, Iran is a vast state with millions of volunteers ready for war, concluding that Israel will never know peace as long as the current Iranian state exists.

Core Strategic Issues

🌕 The "Pax Israilana" Obstacle: The article identifies Iran as the only functional barrier to a regional order dominated by Israel ("Greater Israel") and the U.S. 🌕 The Nuclear Miscalculation: The Professor admits that lobbying to kill the JCPOA backfired, accelerating Iran's enrichment from 15% to 60% and potentially resulting in a "surprise" nuclear capability. 🌕 Shift in Regional Deterrence: Iran's use of hypersonic missiles has reportedly destabilized the "invincible" image of Israel and shifted the balance of power. 🌕 Demographic & Psychological Warfare: A sharp contrast is drawn between the "internal collapse" of Israeli society (fleeing to airports during strikes) versus Iranian "resilience" (volunteering for defense and forming human shields). 🌕 Geopolitical Stakes for Superpowers: The text suggests that without Iran, the U.S. would achieve total hegemony over Gulf oil and the Strait of Hormuz, effectively completing the encirclement of Russia and China. 🌕 The "Tolerance" of Arab States: A critical point is made regarding the passivity of Arab regimes, which the Professor argues has allowed Israel to persist despite its actions, whereas Iranian "stubbornness" poses an existential threat to the Zionist project.