Question: In his speech on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized: "The usurping Zionist regime has suffered an irreparable defeat, both in terms of military and intelligence.” This incident took place while the Zionists were always boasting about their capabilities in the military and intelligence fields. What are the reasons and factors that turned the Zionist regime’s military and security defeat into an irreparable defeat?
A. Hotait: Al-Aqsa Storm is an unprecedented and unique military operation that the Islamic Resistance carried out in the Gaza region. This operation caused the Zionist enemy to suffer from a military and security strategic defeat, which Ayatollah Khamenei described as an irreparable defeat. In fact, it is difficult to repair this defeat for a number of reasons.
The first reason is that the Zionist soldiers have lost their spirit and their motivation to fight. This determination to fight is not caused by material motives. Rather, it is caused by moral and ideological issues and self-belief. Israel has recently entered a phase where it is experiencing a motivational gap and backwardness. We are witnessing this in what is taking place at the military level, as many of the volunteers are failing to join their training centers. It is said that their paratroopers are not motivated to prepare for operations behind the lines, and their infantry forces do not have the determination and spirit to engage in battle.
The issue at hand, that is, the drop in their motivation to engage in battle and the loss of their spirit are not things that can be repaired in a day or two, since its nature requires a foundational repair. This is an issue that is not possible after the revelation of Israel's current situation.
The second reason is about a structural illusion: While it may be true that Israel has built fortifications and amassed large equipment to protect itself from an attack, but these fortifications have proved incapable in establishing security or in preventing attacks. Their enemy has the capability to overcome these facilities. So, in addition to the irreparable morale collapse, there is also an irreparable structural weakness as Israel has carried out all its fortifications in order to counter the threat of attack, but it has been to no avail.
The third reason is about preemption and preemptive wars. Israel has always avoided danger through the use of preemptive wars, but today the overall condition of the region and the presence of the prepared and efficient Axis of Resistance are preventing Israel from achieving its goals in the preemptive war. It even stands in the way of a preemptive war. This is a fundamental negative point for the Israeli side.
Therefore, we can say that this defeat is the result of reduced motivation, structural backwardness, and organizational incapacity. This defeat turned from an accidental defeat into a strategic defeat that cannot be repaired. Based on this, the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation can be considered as a concrete model based on which the final and all-out war that will eradicate Israel can be designed.
Furthermore, in the field of intelligence, Israel boasts to other countries that it has a powerful intelligence system which knows everything, even from behind closed doors. It turned out that these were killing organizations, not intelligence organizations. In 1973, they faced an intelligence defeat when Israel’s intelligence failed to predict the war. Also in 2006, despite everything Israel had done to restore its abilities, the same defeat was repeated and it turns out that Israel is in fact incapable in terms of intelligence, and the Winograd Commission also confirmed this weakness.
Israel was terribly defeated and the most important reason for this was its defeat in intelligence. And now, in the year 2023, that is 50 years later, this defeat is getting repeated. Defeat has become a habit for Israel’s intelligence agencies. If Israel could repair this defeat, it would have done so, but 50 years of defeat without reparation have passed, which proves that this is a continuous, fundamental defeat and it is beyond repair.
In terms of the military, the West has supplied Israel with its best weapons and military equipment from its arsenals, and equipped them with the best electronic technologies. But even though it has reached the highest technical and technological standards, it turns out that even these cannot prevent Israel’s defeat. It can also be said that this damage cannot be repaired because all efforts have been made in this regard without reaching the desired results.
Question: Considering the extent and scope of the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation and the impact of the operation on the Zionist regime, the regime’s situation after October 7th will clearly be different from the situation it was in prior to this date. In your opinion, in what way do you think the Zionist regime is different today than before the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation?
A. Hotait: We can say that Al-Aqsa Storm Operation, with its effects and results, has changed the outlook of the region – not only in Israel’s neighboring regions, but also in all of West Asia and the Middle East. This movement has put an end to major projects, including plans to integrate Israel in the region, normalization projects, projects to build alliances against Iran, and Israel-US projects to steer regional economies through the India-Europe Economic Corridor.
All of these projects were negatively affected by this movement and Israel’s interests became limited. Instead of focusing on how it would expand, instead of focusing on how it would increase its influence and control on the region’s security, military, economy and politics, and instead of trying to lead the region which the US wants to colonize, Israel’s interests have switched from expansion to survival. Therefore, this movement has taken Israel back to square one, to the way it was in 1948, when it first usurped Palestine.
But there is a difference. In 1948, even though there was some political opposition, but there was no military force against Israel to threaten its existence as there is today. But now, there are effective military forces against Israel. If Israel has not been able not stand against one side and one part of the Axis of Resistance, what will happen if all of the sections of the Axis of Resistance intervene?
This reminds me of the words of the late Imam Khomeini, who said: “If every Muslim threw a bucket of water at Israel, Israel would drown.” Today, the Axis of Resistance is not throwing buckets of water, but it is sending missiles, bullets, and explosives, which are enough to destroy Israel. It can be said logically, scientifically and definitely, that Operation Al-Aqsa Storm is a tangible example of an all-out war that will end Israel’s presence in the region and eradicate this cancerous tumor.
It can even be said that Israel may learn a lesson, and may not need an all-out war, but instead, it may put an end to itself by a total loss of spirit and motivation, due to its fear of confrontation. This is definite. What happened on October 7 confirmed the firm religious belief that Israel’s existence is temporary, and God willing, from now on, we can describe it as a declining entity.
(The views expressed in this interview are interviewee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)
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