In an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli detailed the severity of the recent missile strikes from Iran, the strategic goals of the current military operation, and the global fight against antisemitism.
Minister Chikli recounted his visits to sites affected by the recent missile attacks in Rehovot, Bnei Brak, and Tamra, an Arab village in the north where four family members were tragically killed. He highlighted the unprecedented destructive power of the missiles.
"These are massive missiles with 300 to 600 kilos of explosives causing enormous damage," Chikli stated, differentiating them from previous attacks by Hezbollah or Hamas. Despite the devastation, he noted the relatively low number of casualties, attributing it to the public's heightened awareness and adherence to safety protocols.
"The population is on alert, taking seriously the threat," he affirmed, adding that it was "inspiring to see also the soldiers that are walking in the field, making every possible effort to rescue the people out of the ruins…I think there's a very strong spirit currently in Israel."
Elaborating on the broader conflict, Chikli defined Israel's current military objectives as directly confronting two existential threats from Iran. "At first, Iran was very clear, since this revolution started in 1979, with its goal to annihilate the state of Israel," he said, citing historical pronouncements and the countdown clock in Tehran. He labeled the Iranian regime as "genocidal when it comes to Israel."
The first primary goal of the current operation, according to Chikli, is to dismantle Iran's ballistic missile program. He warned that Iran's aim to amass 8,000 ballistic missiles, even without nuclear capabilities, presents an existential threat due to Israel's limited air defense systems.
"Going and destroying the factories of these ballistic missiles, the launchers of these ballistic missiles, and the arsenal that exists, that's exactly what's been happening in the past five days, and this is goal number one," he explained.
The second crucial objective is to cripple Iran's nuclear program. Chikli highlighted the significant achievement of "hitting 14 of the top scientists for the nuclear program," along with strikes on a uranium enrichment factory and a center in Isfahan.
He stressed the need to target "more strategic bases... to make sure that this program is not going backwards a year, but at least a decade."
Minister Chikli expressed gratitude for the robust support from the Trump administration for Israel's military operations in both Gaza and Iran. "You can imagine what would have happened with another regime, we could, with another administration, we could have faced embargo, we could have faced decisions at the UN. It could have been a nightmare," he said.
Regarding potential US military involvement, Chikli stated, "It's up for the US to decide what's best for them based on US interest," and added, "I trust Trump and I trust his team that they know what's best for the US and they will take the right decisions."
Shifting to his role as Diaspora Affairs Minister, Chikli addressed the pervasive challenge of antisemitism. He commended the Trump administration's efforts in combating antisemitism, particularly in Ivy League universities and K-12 schools.
However, he voiced grave concerns about the situation in Europe, specifically mentioning "grave incidents with demonstrations in the middle of the street, a Hamas parade in the middle of the street, signs showing the pictures of the leaders of Jewish community as wanted" in Belgium. He urged the Belgian government to take more effective steps against antisemitism, stating, "I'm very concerned with what's going on in Belgium."