Why Canada Is Failing In The Fight Against Islamic Extremism: An Insightful Conversation With Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskell

[Music] Sharon Haskell, welcome to the Honours Report Podcast. Thank you very much for inviting me. This is an arrow defining moment for Israel. What can you tell us about the war goals of the moment? Well, they haven't changed since the beginning of the operation, and the goal is to destroy the existential threat that is posed by the Iranian regime, which is the ballistic missile program, the nuclear program, and by that also making sure that it is destroyed long-term. I think that what many people do not understand is that, especially after Operation Rising Lion, when we eliminated the immediate threat that was posed on Israel. That should, in an ordinary or rational government, should have led to a series of talks that would end up with an agreement understanding that Israel will not let Iran gain the capability to eliminate us. But unfortunately, we're not dealing with a sensible leadership or rational government. This is a fanatical regime that holds the values of death and destruction higher than anything else. And so while they were negotiating with the Americans about the programs, they were deceiving them. They were trying to buy time so that they can dig the nuclear program and the ballistic missile program so deep on the ground that it would literally have immunity. Even the American bombers wouldn't be able to reach it. And so we understand that we cannot go into every year, every year and a half, an operation like that. And so hopefully we'll be able to open a path for the Iranian people to liberate themselves. And this is especially after what we've seen a little bit more than 60 days ago, where the fanatical Ayatollah regime have massacred their own children and teenagers and girls in the streets in so many different cities, more than 30,000 of them. And so there's the bank of targets for the elimination of the tools and the leadership that was pushing those two programs, the ballistic missile one and the nuclear program one. And we are also looking to create a path for the Iranian people to liberate themselves. If the war ends with a lot of ballistic missiles destroyed and a lot of Iran's military capacity diminished, would you consider that a major success or a minor success? Look, there's a lot of variable in this equation. You know, I do think that there has to be a change of regime. I don't see, you know, not a regret and not a change of ideology among the leadership. I mean, we do see cracks and breaking within this regime. So they're actually starting to break now. And I think this is a very good sign. And so, but I don't think that if someone from the regime will take the power, like Mochiteba or anyone else, that they'll actually suddenly change their ideology and change, you know, what they've been working for so many years. But they'll just find more ways to deceive it. I mean, this is part of the big plan of, you know, of the ideology. What kind of military buildup was the regime planning prior to this war? In other words, why was there an imminent threat at the moment? Look, you know, when we went into, you know, operation rising line, that was an imminent threat. Okay. An immediate threat, especially with reaching within a very short period of time, a nuclear bomb that could give the tool for the, I told a regime to actually annihilate the state of Israel. You know, what we see and what we saw, especially while negotiating with the United States, you know, was how they were trying to build immunity so they can continue with a long-term plan and building it. So if they would have been able to gain more time and to bury those two programs underground and we wouldn't have any chance of eliminating it, then they, it would have created the same situation like with North Korea. Or you continue the discussions, you continue the negotiations until they already have a capability and after that, there's nothing really you can do. It gives the Iatola regime an immunity and then the entire world would have been in a great danger. On the domestic front, you've been a major critic of the Canadian government for their perceived inaction on addressing Islamic extremism and anti-Semitism. What specific steps would you want to see taken? Oh, it's very, very simple. Enforcement, prosecution and punishment to those who break the law. I mean, there are very strict rules about discrimination, about hatred, about violent actions, racist violent actions. The problem is that the law is not being enforced. I mean, do they know who shot, who burned? Are they after those people? I mean, when you register the IRGC as a terrorist organization, okay, do you enforce it? So do you start confiscating, you know, banks, banks account of people who are affiliated, who are part of this regime? What do you do with that? When you do catch someone who committed a hate crime, is there a prosecution or they just let go? When they're, you know, a hatred preaching or, you know, calling in demonstration to target an attack Jewish community to go and demonstrate in front of a place of worship or to try and burn it and the police is there. What have they done to stop them? And so, you know, it's just mind-blowing the fact that especially Canadians, if any, but any minority group, you know, whether it is African Canadians, Afigians, Chinese, Indians, Pakistani Muslims, you know, whatever, LGBTQ, whatever group would come and just step up and say, "Hmm, that really makes me feel unsafe or uncomfortable." You know, so many people in the community would rise up and be outraged by it, you know, with all the the extreme progressiveness and that kind of culture that has been spreading around any minority group. And then come the Jews and they don't say, "I don't feel comfortable." They say, "I'm being violently attacked. I'm targeted. I'm hunted." People are recording and collecting my names are addresses. They come to the place of worship. They shoot at our schools. They try to burn our synagogues. They burn, I don't know, our ambulances. And what do you hear? Almost nothing. I mean, look on the mayor of Toronto. She couldn't even come to the press conference. If that would have been any other minority group, she would have been there, you know, very, very quickly. Okay? I do have to say that I do hear there's a huge solidarity together, you know, in Montreal with the Greek community. He's been very supporting towards the Jewish community. And I know the exiled Iranian community has been hugely supporting the Jewish community as well during these difficult times, where they being targeted. But you expect that from the authorities. You expect that from law enforcement. You expect the federal police to start investigate incidents where their armed gangs who are shooting in Montreal, in Toronto, in other cities. And it's not. And you know why? Because it's Jews. Because let it be any other minority groups and they would have acted very differently. What would you attribute this lack of political action to? Is it partisan and electoral considerations? Is it just a general disinterest? What do you ascribe that to? Well, first of all, Yeah, no, you're absolutely spot on. So the first thing is political populism. And then, you know, watching to gain or to guard their seat at the parliament. I mean, look, the fact is that it is far more about internal politics than foreign policy or then, you know, looking after, you know, the Jewish community fighting anti-Semitism. And it is appeasing a very radical voice. And yes, in many cases, you know, the mass migration coming from the Middle East, from countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan and Syria, where in their education system, it's quite normal to demonize Jews to teach to hate Israel, but very much to demonize Jews. And if they move to a new place, you know, have a fresh start, but they don't assimilate into the society. And no one teaches them that Jews do not have horns and tails. And they cannot have, you know, the hate speech and attack violently the Jewish community only because they're Jewish, that it deteriorates. And when you import a lot of the challenges and the conflict in the Middle East into your new country, that is the result. In terms of the terrorist attacks and Islamic extremism and anti-Semitism in Western countries, how much of that do you think is directed by state sponsors of terrorism like Qatar and Iran? No, I can't tell you the exact numbers, but I think it's pretty obvious. If, you know, the army of Iran, which is called Qizbalah, okay, this is literally the army of Iran in Lebanon. And it's very vividly now when the Lebanese government forbids them from, you know, attacking Israel because there's a ceasefire, but they are listening to their patrons in Iran via Tolez and they attack Israel and destroy, you know, homes and towns and kill civilians and injured them. It's very, very much evident that this is an Iranian army, backed, fund, armed, trained. And when you know that one of the best places for them to go in fundraise is Canada, that should be a serious red flag. When you hear that during Operation Rising Lion, you know, more than 700 agents and family members of IRGC, okay, of the revolutionary guards, the Ayatollah regime, okay, didn't fled because they were so scared to Zarbijan or Turkey or Qatar or anywhere else or Pakistan. They fled to Canada. You need to ask yourself, why is Canada such a hotbed for those groups, for those people? What are they seeking there? And so, you know, I'm not surprised that there's a huge surge in, you know, in anti-Semitism, but I'm really, really surprised on the lack of action that the government is unwilling to really enforce the law or to protect the Jewish community in Canada. In your conversations with Canadian officials over the last couple of years, where you've expressed your frustrations with them on their inaction, what has the response been from them? Look, I won't talk specifically about the conversation itself, but I can tell you and maybe I'll say this, that words are not enough anymore. And I've said that before, the writing is on the wall. If the Canadian government is not going to act now to protect the Jewish community, this will end with blood and they can prevent it now if there's going to be enforcement, prosecution, and they're going to be able to bring the deterrence back, to make sure that the Jews in Canada, Canadian citizens are protected, which is their job to do that. Okay? This is what they need to do. This is what we, we continue to say over and over and over again. They have to act. Words are not enough anymore. Sharon Haskell, thank you so much for joining me today. It's a great pleasure. Thank you very much and please stay safe.