‘Iran likes to attack during Jewish holidays,’ warns Israeli defense minister

Defense Minister Israel Katz warns Iran could attack Israel during Jewish holidays, vows powerful response.

By World Israel News Staff

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Wednesday that Iran could launch an attack on Israel during the upcoming Jewish holiday period, saying the country is closely monitoring Tehran and is prepared to respond with overwhelming force if targeted.

Speaking at the “Decision Time: Democracy and Society” conference hosted by Yedioth Ahronoth and the Israel Democracy Institute, Katz said Israeli officials are conducting continuous assessments as renewed fighting between Iran and the United States raises the possibility that Tehran could widen the confrontation to include Israel.

“The prime minister and I are following this on a daily basis together with the IDF, sometimes in the middle of the night on the red phone,” Katz said.

“We are not taking any information lightly. We do not want to be surprised. We are prepared.”

Asked specifically about the possibility of an Iranian attack during the approaching High Holiday season, Katz said Tehran has previously sought to exploit Jewish holidays.

“They like to attack on Jewish holidays because they hate Jews,” Katz continued.

“Look at many things that happened in the past. But we are prepared both defensively and offensively, in coordination with the United States in this area.”

Rosh Hashanah begins on the evening of Sept. 11, followed by Yom Kippur beginning Sept. 20 and Sukkot beginning Sept. 25.

Israel has historically maintained heightened security around major Jewish holidays, including following the surprise Egyptian-Syrian attack that began the Yom Kippur War in October 1973 and the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack, which occurred on Simchat Torah.

Katz stressed that Israel would not depend on the United States to retaliate if Iran directly targeted Israeli territory.

“If they attack us, we will respond with great force, independently of anyone else,” he said.

“For now, they are striking throughout the region except us,” Katz added. “But there is a possibility that they will attack us. We are prepared for that defensively.”

His comments came a day after a major escalation in the US-Iran conflict.

American forces launched a new wave of strikes Tuesday against Iranian Revolutionary Guard air-defense systems, radar facilities, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications infrastructure.

Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against US-linked targets in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq. Tehran said it would no longer exercise restraint following the American attacks, while President Donald Trump warned Iran that further retaliation would bring an even heavier US response.

Israel has so far remained outside the latest direct exchange between Washington and Tehran, but Katz said the Israeli Air Force is prepared to intervene immediately if Iran changes course.

“If they attack because of Lebanon, because of the West Bank, because of Gaza, or simply because they feel like it, our planes are ready to take off,” he said.

Katz said Washington is currently taking the lead because the latest fighting is centered heavily on American interests, particularly efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and protect energy supplies.

The defense minister also addressed Iran’s nuclear program, insisting that Israeli and American strikes earlier in the war had destroyed Tehran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon.

“We destroyed it, the entire production process, all of it,” Katz said. “There was an active program. We destroyed it.”

He said the program has not been restored since the strikes but warned that Israel is continuing to monitor Iran for indications that it is attempting to rebuild its capabilities.

“Since then, the nuclear program has not been renewed, and we are monitoring these developments,” Katz said. “Now we need to make sure they do not regain the ability to return to it and that they do not go back to it.”

Israel launched Operation Rising Lion against Iran earlier this year, targeting nuclear facilities, ballistic missile infrastructure, air defenses and senior Iranian military and political figures.

The United States subsequently joined attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, including using B-2 stealth bombers and massive bunker-buster bombs against the underground Fordow facility.

“We will not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons,” Katz said. “If something like that happens, and President Trump says the same thing, then we will likely attack together.”

Katz argued that the campaign substantially shifted the strategic balance between Israel and Iran.

“We removed an existential threat from Iran, eliminated Khamenei, thwarted their strategic capabilities and set them back by decades,” he said.

“There were casualties, but when you look at the overall balance, there could have been many more,” Katz added.

“We neutralized their launch capabilities. Against Iran, we achieved an enormous gain. Our most dangerous enemy was struck and is now significantly weaker than us.”

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