Mossad head Dedi Barnea spoke today (Tuesday) at the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony - and warned that the threats to the existence of the Jewish people are not a thing of the past.
Barnea issued a stern warning against international complacency: "The innocent are mistaken because they believe the Holocaust is a thing of the past, that in today's reality genocide is not possible, that there can be no calls for extermination and that hatred that threatens the existence of a people will not grow. The Iranian threat has been growing in intensity before our eyes and before the eyes of the world, almost without interruption.".
He emphasized that Israel warned time and again about the nuclear danger and the ballistic missile stockpiles that threaten its citizens - until finally "we took our fate into our own hands and went to two wars out of necessity.".
The head of the Mossad detailed the operational achievements of 'Roar of the Harrier': "In the 'Roar of the Harrier' war, the IDF, with the assistance of the Mossad, led an unprecedented attack that dealt a severe blow to the Iranian regime. The Mossad once again operated in the heart of Tehran. We brought precise intelligence for the Air Force and hit the missiles that threaten Israeli citizens.".
Barnea referred to the strategic alliance with "the most powerful power in the world," noting that the historic cooperation during the forty days of intense fighting thwarted the enemy's main goal - the destruction of the State of Israel.
Barnea addressed critics who claimed that the operation did not achieve all of its goals, immediately after the end of the attacks phase - because the regime was not replaced.
""We did not think that this mission would be completed immediately after the fighting subsided," he clarified. "But we also planned that our campaign would continue and be expressed in the period after the attacks on Tehran. Our commitment will only be complete when this extremist regime is replaced. That regime that wants our destruction must pass from this world.".
He concluded his speech with a strong message: "This is our mission. We will not continue to look the other way at another existential threat. With a clear mandate - never again.".
