Israeli Ambassador to Kazakhstan Gives Exclusive Interview to Orda.kz, Comments on Recent Attack on His Country.

Orda has spoken with the Israeli Ambassador to Kazakhstan about why Israel became a target of Iran in Terhan's recent attack, about the causes of constant conflicts in the region, and how Kazakh-Israeli relations are developing.

Israeli Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Edwin Nathan Yabo Glusman, arrived in Kazakhstan in 2022. He has been in the diplomatic service since 1995. More recently, he has worked in departments of European countries.

What was happening in Israel while drones and missiles from Iran were flying towards Israel?

— Sirens sounded all over the country. The population went to bomb shelters or specially equipped rooms in apartments and houses. Explosions were heard. The downed drones were falling to the ground.

Is this Iran's retaliation for the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus?

— What Iran has done is a war crime. Because the drones and missiles it fired were directed against the Israeli population. In fact, 80 tons of explosives were sent in our direction. This is essentially an act of war. Iran has been attacking us for many years, just not directly, but through the groups: Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, the Houthis in Yemen, and armed groups in Syria and Iraq. This is the first time Iran has attacked us openly. The situation is very serious. And, of course, Israel has the right to respond.

No country or organization has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. It was decided in Iran and who the perpetrators were. Iran is a genocidal regime with an expansionist agenda and ideas. And we are one of their ideological opponents.

We have no quarrel with Iran, we had diplomatic relations until 1979, until the Islamic Revolution happened there. Under the Ayatollah's regime, a terrorist regime was established there, whose goal is to destroy our country. Iran has extensive experience in destroying diplomatic missions of other states. Regarding the incident in Damascus, it was a targeted attack not directed against civilians.

Side note: On April 1, the Syrian authorities reported that Israel had struck the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Later it turned out that the strike killed two generals of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tehran promised to take retaliatory measures. At the same time, the European Union and the Kazakh Foreign Ministry condemned Israel for this attack.

Now the Israeli military is discussing a potential retaliatory attack on Iran. What are the chances that this will happen?

— Iran is engaged in destabilizing the situation in the countries of the region. This was the case in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen at one time. Israel is very mindful of self-defense, I cannot yet say anything about the military's plans.

Are Israel's airports currently operating? 

— Israeli airspace is now open, and all airports are operating normally. I should note that the attack was repelled not only thanks to Israel's air defense, but also cooperation with countries such as the United States, France, Great Britain, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. It is obvious that the entire region opposes the destabilization that Iran is sowing. Jordan, for example, also shot down drones that entered its airspace.

Saudi Arabia is surprising, I did not think that it would also participate in repelling the Iranian attack on Israel. 

— We do not have any agreement on joint security. We wanted to conclude a peace agreement last autumn, but the actions of terrorists disrupted the negotiations. We had to postpone them. It is good that Iran does not have nuclear weapons now, because if it had, the current regime would have found a use for it.

What are Israel's current relations with its closest neighbors: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia?

— The situation with Lebanon is difficult because the pro-Iranian Hezbollah group, a terrorist organization in Lebanon, has taken over all branches of government, and the Lebanese population is being held captive. Last night, some of the rockets were fired from Lebanese territory. We do not have any territorial disputes with Lebanon and Iran, but Iran is actively involved in Lebanese politics.

Syria is a country with significant internal problems, but Iran is increasing the presence of Shiite military units. We have established diplomatic relations with Jordan, and we have been peaceful neighbors for many years. We also cooperate in the area of self-defense. We are trying to establish good relations with other Arab countries — with the Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Egypt.

I would say that there are two main groups of countries in the region: One looks to the future, seeks to increase the welfare of the population, develops the economy, and masters new technologies. The second is Iran and its satellites, as well as Palestine. They are stuck in the Middle Ages.

And what is happening in the Gaza Strip now? 

— We are talking not only about the Gaza Strip but also about the whole of Palestine. If the Palestinian authorities realize that only peaceful coexistence and negotiations are possible between us, then we will all live in peace. The Palestinians, with the idea of destroying Israel, are not going to ensure that there will be two States, but only one. At this rate, this state will miss the train called "prosperity", "economic development of the Middle East". Israel and the countries of Sunni Islam — we are all on the same train. In the contrary case, the Palestinians will have to ask the international community for money, and Israel will not help. In the meantime, they are investing in the destruction of Israel. While we are building subway tunnels in Tel Aviv, they are building tunnels for transporting weapons and terrorists.

Is the Gaza Strip currently under Israeli control? 

— Now we are fighting there, but we do not control anything. We are fighting against Hamas terrorists.

How can you characterize the current relations between Kazakhstan and Israel?

— They are very constructive. Kazakhstan is a country that looks to the future. We have great potential for cooperation. Our economies are very complimentary. We can give a lot to Kazakhstan in the field of technology and management.

Are there any joint projects? And in what areas?

— For example, everything related to water resources management. Our businessmen also invest money in the development of agriculture in the south of Kazakhstan, including irrigation and medicine. For instance, an insulin production plant is being built for the entire Central Asian region. I hope that we will soon restore direct flights to Kazakhstan, which were interrupted in October 2023.

Original Author: Maxim Skopin

DISCLAIMER: This is a translated piece. The text has been modified, the content is the same. Please refer to the original piece in Russian for accuracy.