If Israel were to carry out a decisive attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, it could end the regional war, according to Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of Habithonistim.
“Some people feel that the U.S. attacking Iran is opening a war,” Avivi said. “No, it’s closing a war. And therefore it’s crucial to see the U.S. really leading an attack.”
Speaking during the Lights of Hope virtual event, Avivi recommended a series of airstrikes lasting up to three days, which he said “would completely change the Middle East.”
“It’s not just about hitting the head of the snake and bringing down the Shia axis,” he explained. “It’s what will follow. And what will follow is peace agreements, is normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia,” a move he said would likely also lead to peace with countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan.
The Lights of Hope event was designed to provide moments of optimism for a country and people enduring over a year of war. Avivi suggested that the tragedy of October 7 could ultimately pave the way for Israel to build a brighter future.
“This coming year is going to be a very defining year, which we hopefully will see the Shia axis falling down,” Avivi said.
Watch the full Lights of Hope event:
He envisioned a future where “Israel will become the Singapore of the world. All the world trade will go through Israel,” accompanied by a path to sovereignty in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. Avivi also expressed confidence that within the next one to three years, Israel would find a solution for Gaza.
Avivi’s comments were followed by insights from former IDF Spokesperson Jonathan Conricus, now with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, who offered a more cautious perspective. Conricus highlighted the challenges of resolving the Gaza situation.
“Gaza is the area where I am the least optimistic because of the complexity of the challenge, because of how poor, uneducated, extremist, and jihadi the population in Gaza was before the war, and how strong and so many years that Hamas had to brainwash Palestinians in Gaza and therefore create a very, very difficult environment for us to operate,” Conricus said.
He also voiced concerns about the ceasefire with Hezbollah, noting that “it doesn’t provide Israel with real security assurances for people to go back to Northern Israel and for there to be a real security change.” Conricus warned that Hezbollah remains largely intact, with its weapons, personnel, and funding still in place.
“At the end of the day, as long as the Iranian regime exists, Hezbollah will exist,” Conricus concluded.