From Hitler to Khamenei: A New Axis of Evil Demands a Global Reckoning

By: Fern Sidman

As Israeli air and cyber forces press ahead with Operation Rising Lion, a bold and sweeping campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, leading members of the Knesset have issued an unambiguous message: This is not just about uranium enrichment or missile silos—it is about confronting and dismantling the ideological machinery of the Iranian regime itself.

Speaking to The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) on Sunday, senior Israeli lawmakers from both the coalition and opposition painted the current offensive as nothing less than a generational imperative. Likud lawmaker Amit Halevy set the tone in no uncertain terms: “The goal of this operation should be to wipe the Iranian regime off the map.”

Halevy emphasized that the Islamic Republic’s danger lies not only in its nuclear program but in the ideological dogma that sustains its aggressive posture across the Middle East. “It’s about the regime with its extreme ideology,” he said, calling upon the free world—particularly the United States—to not merely support Israel rhetorically, but to actively participate in the campaign to bring peace and security to the region.

“This is our generation’s task,” Halevy declared to JNS. “Eighty years ago, it was the Nazi regime; today, it’s the Iranian regime. The free nations of the world must stand shoulder to shoulder to complete this mission.”

In a rare show of unity, opposition member Pnina Tamano of the National Unity Party echoed Halevy’s call. “This is a preventive war that the people of Israel have embarked on—a necessity and a duty imposed upon us,” she told JNS. Tamano emphasized that Iran’s nuclear ambitions, proxy terrorism, and ideological expansionism represent an existential threat—not only to Israel, but to global stability.

“For decades, Iran has spared no effort to harm Israel,” Tamano continued. “From attempts at subversion to investments in terrorist organizations across the region, it has built an empire of chaos. The cooperation of the American administration and President Donald Trump is crucial for us. Every country that cares about world peace should join this front.”

Likud Knesset member Moshe Passal went further, invoking painful historical parallels. “They [Iranian leaders] have said they will destroy Israel and are building the weapons to do so. If it had been possible to kill Hitler and subdue Germany before the war, millions of lives would have been saved,” he told JNS. “Israel is now eliminating the Hitler of this era. The world should stand by us.”

Passal criticized any diplomatic overtures toward Tehran, warning against the Biden administration’s apparent preference for renewed negotiations. “In my opinion, any agreement with the Iranians is an agreement they will not honor. They are experts at deception,” he said. “We must destroy the nuclear facilities and try to overthrow the regime.”

The scale and success of Operation Rising Lion have drawn comparisons to some of the most consequential campaigns in Israel’s military history. Likud lawmaker Ariel Kallner praised the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as a “Churchill-like figure,” and lauded the Israel Defense Forces for their precision.

“In just 48 hours,” Kallner told JNS, “the IDF shattered key enrichment facilities, eliminated senior nuclear scientists, and crippled ballistic-missile production lines. Iran’s nuclear clock has been set back by years.”

Kallner declared that Israel’s resolve is firm. “We will continue striking every centrifuge hall, storage depot and launch platform that feeds the ayatollahs’ war machine until their ability to threaten Israel or our allies is dismantled,” he said. “The lion of Israel is wide awake.”

Likud MK Tally Gotliv emphasized the symbolic and strategic victory achieved so far. “Small but mighty, Israel has demonstrated its strength,” she told JNS. “By damaging Iran’s launch capability and air defense systems, we are strengthening our security at this critical time.”

Gotliv also pointedly noted that the campaign was executed by Israel alone, though with U.S. knowledge. “I am proud to be part of this moment, despite the price we may pay due to Iran’s retaliatory actions, which only underscore the danger and the necessity of our response,” she said.

Perhaps the most forward-looking analysis came from Likud MK Avichai Boaron, who argued that this military campaign could lay the groundwork for a future Middle East defined by peace, not proxy warfare. “The world must understand that if a nuclear bomb were to strike Israel, there would be no second chance,” he told JNS. “This is our only option.”

Boaron revealed that Israeli intelligence had uncovered alarming data indicating Iran was in the final stages of nuclear weaponization. “We could not stand idly by,” he said, calling for a global effort to replace the clerical regime in Tehran with a democratic government.

“The Islamic Republic’s proxies span from Lebanon to Syria, to Yemen, to Hamas in Gaza. To change this, the Western world must seize this moment,” Boaron continued. “Only with a new, democratic Iran can we envision a peace that includes normalization with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.”

He concluded with an aspirational yet sobering message: “This is a historic opportunity. But it begins with the destruction of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs—because only then can we secure the safety of Israel and its citizens.”

As reported by JNS, Israel’s leadership—across party lines—has thrown its full weight behind Operation Rising Lion, not simply as a tactical operation, but as a historic and moral imperative. The stakes are existential, the tone uncompromising, and the vision bold: a Middle East without the malign shadow of the Iranian regime.

Whether the international community will meet this moment with equal resolve remains to be seen. But in the view of Israel’s lawmakers, the choice is stark—and the time for action is now.