How has The Islamic Republic Gotten to This Place?

Disclaimer: This transcript is an edited version of a transcript created using AI technology and may not reflect 100% accuracy.

The video can be found here.

Interviewer: States and good evening. Good afternoon in the United States and good evening here in Israel. We are honored to have with us once again today Ambassador Yoram Ettinger. Since the very early days of the Oslo Accords, Yoram and I have been working very closely together. Yoram is an expert on US-Israeli relations, and his opinions are widely sought after on both American and Israeli media outlets. Yoram was the director general of the Israeli consulate in Texas and subsequently headed Israel’s government press office. In the years of 1989 to 1992, he worked at the Israeli embassy in the United States as the diplomat responsible for relations with the US Congress. He held the rank of ambassador. Yoram, we are witnessing some very tense days right now between Iran and its Sunni Arab neighbors, Iran and Israel, Iran and the United States. You recently wrote that “according to the West Point Center for combating terrorism, the Iranians see terrorism as an extension of foreign policy” and that “Iran and its proxies has spent years investing in a homeland option here in the United States.” Can you delineate further how they have been working on that?

Yoram Ettinger: Okay, I think that a cardinal rule for anyone who shapes policy towards Iran should be a very simple advice of Texas colloquialism. And this is, be wary, be wary of a deadly coral snake posing as harmless skipjack snake. The world is top heavy on deadly coral snakes, especially in the Middle East, posing as harmless skipjack snake. One of them has to do with Iran’s Ayatollah regime. This was the way that the Ayatollah regime has been transformed from a second, third-rate power in the Middle East to a prime global power, a compliment of gullible or detached Western policymaking establishment. Most notably, back in 1978-79, President Jimmy Carter. President Carter was influenced by Ayatollah Khomeini’s messages, which sounded like a very peaceful skipjack snake. Ayatollah Khomeini at that time was in exile in Paris, and he surrounded himself with very astute, very lucid young advisors, all of whom were graduate of Western universities. They spoke a number of foreign languages, which impressed very much the US Embassy in Paris, the US Embassy in Tehran, and the US Foreign policy establishment in Washington. Ayatollah Khomeini literally flooded the US Administration, as well as West European establishment, with very, very peaceful messages. And rather than pay attention to the track record of Ayatollah Khomeini, rather than provide a top prominence to Ayatollah Khomeini’s ideology, the Western establishment was taken over by Ayatollah Khomeini’s very, very comforting, peaceful rhetoric.

And the cardinal rule in the Middle East is that on words one does not pay custom, and since on words no one pays custom, and since in the Middle East there is no such thing as a democratic regime among Arab countries, Muslim countries, why not use words, talk as lavishly as possible. And the impact was very, very clear to the extent that the US Embassy in Tehran at that time, Ambassador William Sullivan telegrammed to Washington that according to the embassy’s contacts with the inner circle of Ayatollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini was expected to be an Iranian addition of Gandhi. As a result, President Carter, who addressed the global leaders conference in the islands of Guadeloupe 10 days before Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran after years in exile in Iraq and in France, President Carter reassured global leaders that based on America’s own intelligence and very, very extensive contacts with Ayatollah Khomeini’s inner circle, the free world has to expect Ayatollah Khomeini to be preoccupied with tractors not with tanks. In fact, the US CIA, the US State Department, reassured the White House that Ayatollah Khomeini was devoted to being anti-communist and therefore anti-Soviet Union, and as a result very amenable to pro-US leaning. And Ayatollah Khomeini, according to America’s State Department establishment, was going to be preoccupied with according liberty to the Iranian people after years of supposedly despotic regime of the Shah. And Ayatollah Khomeini, yes, was going to transform Iran into the Islamic Republic, but according to the US intelligence, Ayatollah Khomeini had no interest in exporting the Islamic revolution beyond the boundaries of Iran. Obviously, none of that had anything to do with reality. It had to do with alternate reality, which was much more convenient, much more comforting, much more soluble than the actual Iranian Middle East reality. And we have seen that type of approach dominating US Western policy towards Iran since the takeover by the Ayatollah regime back in or on February 1st, 1979.

Recently, during the current US administration, there are some positive signs that hopefully, hopefully, the US is going to rid itself of past critical mistakes and rather than repeat the mistakes, as has been the practice by a series of American administrations since 1978-79, avoid those mistakes. In fact, those mistakes have been represented or documented by the US policy towards Iran, dominated by the diplomatic option, the negotiation option, sometimes integrated with economic sanctions. But the proof is in the pudding. And the pudding suggests that irrespective of negotiations, irrespective with hundreds of billions of dollars showered upon the Ayatollah regime, mostly by the US, as well as other democratic regimes, and independent of economic sanctions, some of them, the President Trump’s first administration, maximum pressure, economic sanctions, which almost brought down the Iranian economy. Still, we haven’t seen a dent in the Ayatollah regime fanatic policy, and in fact the commitment by the US administration, by Western administration, to the negotiation diplomatic option to economic sanctions. Those options have served as the most important engine behind the transformation of the Ayatollah regime or transformation of Iran from the American policemen in the Gulf to the number one enemy of the US and the Western world, and certainly the major epicenter of anti-US terrorism, civil wars, drug trafficking, money laundering, and the proliferation of advanced military systems, the reference to the FBI and the Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence Threat Assessment for 2025, which underscores the expansion of sleeper cells controlled by Iran in the US. And in fact, those threat assessments by the FBI, Homeland Security Department and Director of National Intelligence also indicate that Iran has conducted itself in collaboration with Russia and China, aiming at past and present American officials, with a growing number of sleeper cells on US soil awaiting the green light from Tehran.

Moreover, contrary to the very superficial assumptions, which mostly characterizes isolationist circles in the US, but has been the share of many circles beyond or outside the isolationist, the misperception that Iran constitutes a threat to the Saudis, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, but supposedly not to the US, that type of very detached assumption has ignored the fact that since 1980, namely shortly after taking over control of Iran, Iran, in collaboration with Hezbollah terrorists, they both have preoccupied themselves in entrenching themselves deeper and deeper into Latin America, conducting terrorist training camps in the trilateral border of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, the smaller trilateral border of Chile and Bolivia and Peru, conducting very close ties with every single drug cartel in Latin America, whether it is Mexican drug cartels, Colombian drug cartels, Bolivian, Brazilian. The Iranians have provided the drug cartels in Mexico with equipment to construct underground tunnels between Mexico and California, Mexico and Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, tunnels which have been used to smuggle into the US sometimes terrorists, sometimes drug traffickers. And certainly we have seen the Ayatollah regime constructing very close ties with every single anti-US government in Latin America. The recent US operation, I would underscore the very positive US operation against Venezuela, has had an impact way beyond the question of Central and South America or oil production. It has had an impact on Iran’s outreach in the American continent, as it has had an impact on China and Russia foothold in Latin America.

We’re talking about an Iranian regime, which contrary to Western policy, and to an extent, to an extent still, US policy highlighting the principle or the Western value of money talks. The Ayatollah regime is obviously willing to accept to receive financial bonanza. But the Ayatollah regime considers its commitment to its 1400-year-old fanatic ideology as superior to any financial consideration. And again, the proof is in the pudding. They received those hundreds of billions of dollars, but they have not moderated their policy. They have not accepted, they have not been induced to accept peaceful coexistence with their Sunni Arab neighbors. They have not become good faith negotiators and certainly they have not abandoned their fanatic ideology. In the Western world, including in the US, there’s a tendency to accord very minimal weight to ideology under the faulty assumption that it’s the money which talks, not ideology, and you can buy anyone with sufficient economic temptations or prospects of enhanced standard of living. It hasn’t worked with the Ayatollah regime, hasn’t worked with Hamas, hasn’t worked with Hezbollah, does not work with the Houthis, and also hasn’t worked with the PLO or the PA in Ramallah. And certainly when we talk about ignoring the role played by ideology, there is very, very deficient US policy, which does not allow itself to realize that the Ayatollah regime is committed to the legacy of the 680 Battle of Karbala.

Most people in the West would say, who cares about 680? We’re looking forward towards 2050 or 2030. Well, the Ayatollah regime cares about 680, the Battle of Karbala. In fact, the Shiites, most of them care about that legacy, the legacy of that battle. And we see it every single year when they commemorate the battle of Karbala during the Ashura days, where bare-chested Shiite males walk on main streets, wherever they are, substantial elements of Shiites. It’s not only in Iran or Iraq, Lebanon, also in Los Angeles and New York and London and Paris, etc. And we have seen those bare-chested males walking with iron bars in their hands, flagellating themselves until they bleed, in order to remember that what they believe was the treachery by the apostate Sunni, as they refer to the Sunni religion, to commit themselves to topple every single so-called apostate Sunni regime and then take on the infidel West and especially and especially the great American Satan. And by the way the reason or a key reason why they do deal with Israel is because they rightly perceive Israel to be the vanguard of the great American Satan in the Middle East. We are the beachhead, the outpost of the US, of entire Western civilization in the Middle East, and they have concluded that weakening Israel would weaken the US as well and therefore when Israel fights Iran, obviously we fight an enemy of Israel, but we also fight a mutual enemy to the US and Israel. This has been the Ayatollah perception from day one until today, which brings us also to the strategic relations between the US and Israel.

What does the Ayatollah regime know about the Jewish state that too many Americans yet do not comprehend? And when I say do not comprehend, one of the examples is approaching the annual US Investment in Israel, the $3.8 billion, as if it is foreign and a handout overseas social security. Well, the Ayatollah regime, as does Russia, as does China, as do all enemies of the US or rivals of the US, they realize that the US makes an annual investment in Israel, which impacts the maneuverability of every single enemy and rival of the US in the Middle East and beyond. And we saw that back in June. Back in June, Israel launched an air offensive against Iran on June 13, in the process we disabled completely Iranian air defenses as well as Iranian Air Force, which facilitated, which enabled the US to carry out a week later on June 21st an air offensive against three major nuclear sites in Iran. That American offensive was carried out unimpeded, unimpeded by Iranian air defenses and Iranian Air Force for a reason. There was an ally of the US who took care of the air defenses and Air Force. No ally other than Israel could have carried out such an offensive. It was not only an offensive which enabled the US to bomb those nuclear sites a week later, but that offensive was carried out with the crème de la crème of the American airspace industry, the F-15 and F-16 and F-35, the products of the US Boeing and US Lockheed Martin, namely when Israel carried out that offensive, we carried it out as a showroom, highlighting, demonstrating the clear superiority of the American aircraft industry over any competition over enemies of the US. China and Russia, France and Britain, they claim that their combat aircraft are superior to the F-35, F-15, F-16, but they don’t have a showroom which shows day in and day out as we have had not only during the last 2 years but during the last many years showing the edge, the clear advantage of the American products. The Chinese and the Russian, French and British, they can present very impressive brochures. They also produce results of simulation games, but the Americans don’t need brochures, they don’t need simulation games. They point out to the achievements of their own products flown by the Israeli Air Force. That translates itself into exports. And exports in the, we’re talking about mega billion dollars.

I’ll give a very concrete example. Israel was the first country to use the F-35 operationally, not only using it operationally, but do it in an unprecedented, intensive manner. In 2018, when we received the combat aircraft, the F-35, it was doomed to failure by the top American avionic experts. They all lamented the billions invested in developing the plane, the claim that one should consider it as sunk cost, Bane rather than Brun. But if you observe the curve of Lockheed Martin exports of F-35, you find out from 2019 after Israel together with Lockheed Martin overcame most if not all mechanical and technological glitches, the exports of F-35 have zoomed upward. In 2025, according to Lockheed Martin, we’re talking about $40 billion export. Obviously, much of the export has been induced by the performance of that plane. And I’m not aware of any country other than Israel that has used the F-35 in a very intensive combat manner. But to be very conservative, very conservative, I would say, let’s assume that the Israeli performance with the F-35 is responsible only to half of the export, not 40 billion in 2025. Let’s assume it’s only 20 billion. Well, 20 billion compared to the $3.8 billion which is the American annual investment in Israel, erroneously misperceived as foreign aid, that’s one of a heck return on investment. And let’s remember, it’s not only the F-35, it’s also the F-16 and the F-15. And we’re talking about dozens, probably over 100 top American advanced military systems, which are supplied to Israel for which Israel is extremely grateful. But we use it as the battle tested laboratory for the American defense industry. And every single day, literally every single day, that Israeli battle tested laboratory provides the American defense industry, aerospace industry with lessons, which are integrated as upgrades into the American products, which enhance the competitiveness in the global market which results in increased export to the tune of many many billions of dollars, not only that but by providing the American manufacturers with multitude of lessons.

And by the way, this is not limited only to the defense industry. Some 250 commercial, non-military American high-tech giants operate research and development centers in Israel in order to sustain their global leadership. They leverage the brain power in Israel. They leverage the game changing applications developed by Israel due to the unique challenges faced by Israel in the same way that Microsoft and Intel and Facebook and Johnson & Johnson and General Electric and other American giants benefit from the American research and development from the Israeli Research and Development Center. So does the defense industry, but in much, much higher volume of dollars. When it comes to saving research and development cost, one can refer to the F-35. Total research and development cost of F-35 was $55 billion. According to top experts, including management of Lockheed Martin, the Israeli input has saved Lockheed Martin anywhere between $10 and $20 billion. Against the backdrop of $55 billion research and development cost of F-35, you can safely conclude that saving 10 to 20 years amounts to many, many, many billions of dollars. In addition to many billions of dollars increased exports, all of which is expanding the employment base. The F-35 employment base itself, according to Lockheed Martin, consists of 290,000 employees. And that includes Lockheed Martin and the many subcontractors.

Moreover, according to Lockheed Martin, since 2019, when Lockheed Martin started exporting the F-35, the employment related to F-35 has been expanded by 35%. Again, I’m not saying that all of it is because of Israel, but we certainly share a major part of the credit to such an expansion, such a dramatic saving of research and development, such a dramatic increase in export. When it comes to the F-16, F-15, which are used by the Israeli Air Force, we’re talking about two elderly combat aircraft, 55-year-old. Ordinarily, they should be disposed of long time ago, but the Israeli requirements, the Israeli innovation, brainpower and very unique challenges have made the F-55 and the F-35 very, very much of an effective item in 2025. Just like they say, the older the violin, the sweeter the music. And in fact, the last 2 years, we have seen a substantial rise in the exports of F-15 and F-16 and the last 2 years, those are the 2 years of Israel’s wars in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen, in Iran, all of which have demonstrated how viable, how effective are those two so-called elderly combat aircraft, which have been upgraded systematically by the Israeli battle-tested laboratory. If I go back to June 13, 2025, the Israeli Air Force offensive, that offensive which obliterated the Iranian air defenses, obliterated the crème de la crème of the Chinese and mostly Russian air defenses. Now those air defenses have been deployed by Russia and China throughout the globe. The Israeli offensive exposed the vulnerabilities of those air defenses. We have shared those vulnerabilities with the American Air Force as part of the very, very intimate, very close ties between the American Air Force and the Israeli Air Force, and that has had an impact beyond Iran. It has an impact globally on tilting the global balance of power in favor of the US and against Russia and China. That’s one of the reasons that both, especially China, but also Russia with North Korea are very, very intensely involved in restoring and upgrading the Iranian ballistic capabilities, air defense capabilities, and restoring the nuclear capabilities. And they are very intensely involved because it has to do with their own global strategic posture. They are eager to prove that their products are much better than was revealed back in June of 2025.

One more element… Yeah, go ahead.

Interviewer: Yeah, okay. All right. First of all, for the last 47 years since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, have we seen any real viable evidence that they’ve moderated or become any less radical? And I know that right now we’re in our third week of these protests within Iran. Do you think that the Iranian people, because of the besiege of the IRGC, their police force, do you think that they have lost the momentum? If the United States were to strike, is it too little too late at this point?

Yoram: Well, my own opinion is that protesters alone or domestic protest or domestic insurrection alone cannot achieve the goal of regime change in Iran. We’re talking about not only a very satanic regime, but this has demonstrated to be very astutely satanic regime and they do not care about human rights. They are fully concerned with one goal and this is advancing their fanatic 1400 year old religious ideology, which is not only religious, it’s apocalyptic. Apocalyptic means we’re talking about the Shiite religion, or the Shiite branch of the Twelvers, the Twelvers which today constitute about 80% of the Shiites in the world. They believe that the 12th Imam who disappeared in the 10th century is about to reappear. But in order to reappear, there must be rivers of blood ushering him in. There must be willingness to sacrifice one’s life. Now, this is not an interpretation by an outsider. This has been the 12th Shiite branch of religion for centuries. This has been the foundation of the Ayatollah regime constitution of 1979. This has been underscored in the daily school curriculum. This has been emphasized by Friday sermons in Iranian mosques and certainly by the Iranian official media and obviously by the Iranian conduct in the Persian Gulf throughout the Middle East, in the Horn of Africa, North Africa, West Africa, Central Asia, as well as South and Central America, all the way to US soil through their own sleeper cells.

We have a problem, I think, with a Western state of mind which is eager to prove that diplomacy is preferable to military and therefore the dedication to negotiation, to dialogue with the Ayatollah regime, with Hamas, with Hezbollah, with the Houthis, with the PLO, to no avail. None of those negotiations cycles have yielded any moderation. They have only served to bolster the anti-Western capabilities of those radical elements. There is a misperception in the US today that regime change has to be done through domestic elements. Well, domestic elements attempted to do it in 2009. They were left hanging high and dry by the Obama regime. They tried again in 2022. Once again, they were left hanging high and dry by the Biden regime, and now we are faced with another such an attempt. And obviously the response by the Trump administration so far is to an extent more assertive than the previous one but we still hear the rhyme song “negotiation”, “we can produce a better deal”. You cannot, you should not try to produce a better deal with a regime which is committed to the elimination of the partner to negotiation. The US negotiators view negotiation with Hamas or with the Ayatollah regime as a step towards reconciliation. But they fail to realize that irrespective of how nice and how polite are their counterparts on the part of Iran or Hamas but the counterparts do not take negotiation as a step toward reconciliation. They take negotiation as a step to regroup after being afflicted by severe military blow. They take it as a step required to restore and upgrade capabilities. They take it as a necessary step to stall for time, not only to allow China and Russia and North Korea to restore Iranian capabilities, but also stall for time until the midterm election, where they hope that there will be change of balance of power in the US legislature which may, which could transform the president into a lame duck president who would not be able to commit himself to any military operation outside the US boundaries.

Any negotiation with Hamas, with the Ayatollah, should be interpreted by us as it is interpreted by the Ayatollahs and Hamas. I heard recently the American envoys talking about Hamas as a potentially positive element. In fact, to quote, Hamas told us supposedly that they are willing to disarm themselves. They told us so. And moreover, we heard from the American envoys that Egypt and Turkey and Qatar are committed to disarm Hamas. We heard that talking with Hamas counterparts, started as two negotiation teams, but once they realized that both sides have lost dear ones, it has been transformed from negotiation into a dialogue between human beings. Unfortunately, this is not the reality in the Middle East. The mood in Washington, as I felt once again last June and last November, the mood is that there is no appetite for regime change. Well, first of all, I’m very, very frustrated by such an assertion since when national security is driven by appetite. I was under, I am under the impression that national security should be driven by national security requirements, irrespective of appetite. But moreover, there is no sufficient realization that if there is no regime change in Iran, there may appear a nuclear regime in Iran. And not only another nuclear regime, because I heard some of the isolation is saying, big deal, Iran will become nuclear, just like North Korea and China and Russia and Pakistan. So what’s the big deal of Iran becoming nuclear power? Well, once Iran becomes nuclear power, because of the avoidance by the US to do the right thing, namely to change a regime, that is going to be the first ever apocalyptic nuclear regime. And the impact of an apocalyptic nuclear regime could afflict the human race with a catastrophic cost, which certainly would dwarf any cost that are required right now to bring about regime change in Iran.

We keep hearing that the US cannot engineer regime change. US tried in Iraq and failed, tried in Afghanistan and failed, and therefore why try again in Iran? Anyone who claims that demonstrates in my mind detachment from reality because you cannot apply the Iraqi or Afghani experience of track record to Iran, which is a different platform, historically, religiously, population-wise, ethnically, but also track record-wise. The US did engineer regime change in Iran in 1953. From Mossadegh, the pro-Soviet leader who neutralized the pro-US Iran, they restored the Shah’s power, they toppled the Mossadegh regime, and that regime lasted until 1978 when once again the US performed regime change in Iran because the US can produce regime change in Iran and mind you without ground forces. ’53, ’78, no US ground forces. Sadly, in ’78, it was a regime change by the US, which was self-destructive, bringing about the most anti-US regime for many many many years and certainly the US can perform that regime change right now with its superior national security posture, which does not require ground forces, the domestic uprising is there awaiting the American reinforcement and they don’t need the American talk. They do need the American walk. And if they do not get the American walk, it will end up with another historical massacre by the Ayatollah regime of its own people, most of whom do not wish to see the Ayatollah regime deciding, determining their future.

And it seems to me, as a final comment, that for the US to deal with Iran, deluding itself many times that negotiation can change the nature of the regime, to remember that leopards cannot change their stripes, they do change tactics. And certainly the regime of the Ayatollah has demonstrated very astute talent in changing its tactics, once again misleading the American policymakers just like Hamas changing its tactics, not its stripes, when it comes to misleading a series of Israeli governments and currently, currently also the American negotiators. We have to deal with Middle East reality, irrespective of how frustrating it is, how bleeding it is, and how insoluble it may seem to us. It’s much more constructive than submitting ourselves to a convenient, peaceful alternate reality, which brings about certain agreements, as we have had in 2015 with Iran, as we had in 1993 with the Oslo agreement, but those agreements which defy reality always, always end up with rivers of blood caused by very gullible policymakers who preferred alternate reality to reality.

Interviewer: Right. Can I just ask you a couple of very interesting questions, which I hope you might know the answers for? I was here, of course, during the June war, and it looked like Israel did a great deal of damage, and then the United States with the Operation Midnight Hammer stepped in. What are the consequences to America’s posture of deterrence if President Trump does not step in and deter Iran?

Yoram: Well, I would go further, suggesting that in the Middle East, proposing negotiation is perceived as weakness. Certainly, when you are a superpower, superpower according to Middle Eastern dictionary does not propose negotiation but dictate terms. Certainly we have seen that when it comes to Israel vis-à-vis Hamas. The October war was the seventh cycle of wars between Israel and Hamas. Each cycle ended with negotiation. Each negotiation led to the upgrading of Hamas capabilities. And that’s basically how we came to October 7, 2023. The same applies to negotiation with the Ayatollah regime. We heard recently that supposedly, and I underline supposedly, the Saudis, Emiratis, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egyptians, others, opposed US engineering regime change in Iran. I strongly suggest not to underestimate the intelligence of the Saudi Crown Prince, MBS. He knows exactly the nature of the Ayatollah regime. He knows that there is an Ayatollah Mishary at his throat, as it is at the throat of every single Sunni Arab regime in the Middle East. However, why not produce Tok which could serve him well domestically when it comes to the Wahhabi opposition, to the opposition within his own family. And he hopes and he trusts that the US would realize the difference between talk and walk. The same applies to Morocco, the same applies to Egypt, and by the way, the same applies to the Palestinian issue. Every Arab country emits very, very pro-Palestinian talk, but is yet to take a pro-Palestinian walk. We haven’t seen anything tangible on the part of Arab countries on behalf of the Palestinian state since 1948. And there is a reason for that.

The bottom line is, if the US ignores Middle Eastern rules, Middle Eastern values, and keeps observing and assessing the Middle East through Western lenses of human rights and compromises and negotiation and standard of living and money cost, that is going to play into the hands of China and Russia and the Muslim Brotherhood and the Ayatollah regime, undermining the survival of every single pro-American Arab regime. It’s one thing when you have a president who does not even pretend to bolster the US posture of deterrence who appeases the Ayatollah regime. It’s a different thing when you have a president who is aware of the centrality of national security, centrality of posture of deterrence, and sending messages to the protests in Ayatollah, but stops short of the necessary work to produce a regime change. Refraining from regime change would be a major, major blow to America’s posture of deterrence vis-à-vis China, vis-à-vis Russia, vis-à-vis Islamic terrorism.

Interviewer: Right. I have a million more questions for you, but our time is almost up. I just want to ask you this. You know, there are two economies in Iran. Most of the people on the streets are absolutely fed up. They’re dying. It takes about a million rials to equal 1 dollar. They turn on the water faucet, nothing comes out. But there’s a very wealthy elite system that has to do with the shadow banking system in Qatar. Why has the United States refrained from hitting the shadow banking system?

Yoram: Well, it goes back to the centrality of money talks. And when money talks, takes priority, ideology takes back seat, historical track record take back seat, because if you deal with track record, if you deal with ideology, what about the financial prospects? Well, the problem is that if you worship money talks in your negotiation with Hamas and Iran, you probably will achieve short-term convenience, but the expense of horrible self-destructive cost to national security in the long term. Qatar is a bosom brother or bosom sister of the Ayatollah regime. That’s the reason that Qatar was boycotted by every single pro-American Arab regime in the Persian Gulf. It was the Biden administration and now the Trump administration which have pressured the Saudis and Emiratis and Kuwait and Bahrain to ease their attitude towards Qatar. But the pro-American Arab elements, especially those in the Gulf, are aware that Qatar is anything but a constructive element in the Persian Gulf. Not only are they bosom brothers or sisters of the number 1 little threat to every pro-American Arab regime, but they are the number 1 funder of the Muslim Brotherhood.

It’s amazing that inside the US, increasingly, the Muslim Brotherhood, for all the right reasons, is defined as a terror regime by the federal government and by a growing number of states in the US such as Texas. In fact, Texas as befits Texas, the Lone Star State has led the way to shed light on the reality of Muslim Brotherhood. But if you correctly regard the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror arm, again, anti-American terror arm, how can you accord positive attitude towards the banking system of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is mostly, not only, but mostly Qatar? And certainly Qatar is the financial backing or the pipe of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Turkey is the political and the ideological and the strategic arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. And here you have two major elements in the entrenchment of anti-American Sunni Islamic terrorism, which is the Muslim Brotherhood. Those two entities, Turkey and Qatar, are misperceived to be constructive elements in solving conflicts in the Middle East because they have a major, major financial potential. And once again, careful, astute policymakers do not or never sacrifice long-term national security on the altar of short-term financial or diplomatic convenience.

And since you mentioned that this is the last question, one final comment on my part, I don’t want to be misperceived as a pessimistic observer. I am anything but pessimistic. I am a hopeless optimist, and I am a hopeless optimist for one reason: I’m attached to reality. I look at Israel of October 7, 2023. I look at Israel in January of 2026. How can I be but mightily optimistic when I look at the Israeli economy? Only recently, last few weeks, Israel had a bonds offering in the global markets, we raised $6 billion, which we needed. But the demand for that was $36 billion. We turned away $30 billion. When the demand for Israeli funding, issue of bonds is high, it means confidence in the Israeli economy. You look at the Israeli stock exchange, it’s an all-time high. In fact, from the October 7 war until today, something like 200% return on investment. We’re talking about very powerful shekel compared to the dollar. October 7th, it was close to 4 shekels per dollar. Now it’s almost down to 3 shekels per dollar. Exports are rising. Investment in Israeli high-tech, all-time high investment and acquisition of Israeli high tech, export of the defense industry, all time high. And certainly strategically, we are way, way better off than we were October 7, all of which goes back again to what makes us a unique force multiplier, dollar multiplier for the US, what makes us anything but a member of the foreign aid family. This is not our family. Our family is partnership with the US. We are by far the junior partner, US by far the senior partner, but we’re involved in a two-way street rather than one-way street, which has yielded the annual American investment in Israel, a few 100 percent return on investment.

Interviewer: So Yoram, will it be okay if I were to give your email address?

Yoram: Absolutely.

Interviewer: I know that the ambassador is going to be in the United States in the middle of February, and he comes in various times. So if you’d like to reach him, and also you should read his brilliant articles in the Ettinger Report, you could email him at yoramtex@gmail.com. Thank you so much, Yoram. And in order for us to continue these weekly presentations, please look at our website, emetonline.org. We also need your support to continue to do these wonderful things. Thank you so much, Ambassador.

Yoram: Thank you.

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