Tzvi Yehezkeli of i24NEWS spoke on Wednesday with Erel Segal on 103FM radio, discussing the eliminations of Hezbollah's Chief of Staff Fuad Shukr and Hamas' political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh.
"The eliminations in Beirut are top-tier, first-rate leadership," he said. "Nasrallah, in his control, distributes several 'number twos.' So this is a signal, we can't overstate it too much, but it's the closest thing to Nasrallah that could happen."
"The elimination in Tehran is a whole different league: It’s a significant escalation. Israel has broken the barrier of fear; someone got the message. This should have been done at the beginning of the operation. This is Haniyeh, who commanded and celebrated on October 7, who has been the spokesperson for Hamas for ten months. But the real test for these organizations is how they continue afterward. Is this an opening strike or a closing one?"
Underestimate the enemy
He added, "As much as they didn’t anticipate the Israeli responses, there's something about these people like Sinwar and Nasrallah—they underestimate the enemy. On one hand, they respect and study it, but there's an inherent hubris that they'll always come out on top. They think it’s a divine victory, that 'Israel is nothing.'"
"It's not about being as cruel as they are or treating human life the way they do. We're facing organizations driven by Islam, and we need to understand what scares them. Impressing in the Middle East [means looking] at the leaders who fought their own people: land, money, and control. When you hit those pillars of power," that is what makes an impression, Yehezkeli added.
He continued to explain: "There was a term once called 'defensive democracy.' We live ultra-democratic lives within because it’s our lifeblood, but it needs a revolving door regarding battle, ruthlessness, family reunification, and interrogations. We have to grow this thick skin, and it will happen. Let's speak 'Western': How many Palestinians have you killed since you left Gaza? And how many are dying now because they butchered you? If today's elimination is an opening strike, you’re on the right path. If it’s just knocking on the door and running away, you’ll get hit harder."
"If we’ve broken the barrier of fear and the military starts showing signs of change, we’re in a good place. Personally, I feel like something is starting to happen."