THE IRAN FILES: AGPI’S STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT

June 20, 2025: No other country on Earth has endured the same relentless combination of verbal abuse, threats of annihilation, and actual terrorism that Israel has faced at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since 1979, the Iranian regime—led by its Ayatollahs—has pursued an obsessive, violent campaign against the Jewish state, not only with words but with actions. There is no land disagreement between the two nations. This is hatred—pure, genocidal, and unapologetic.

From the moment Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in the Islamic Revolution, Israel became a target not just of criticism, but of declared extermination. And while the world often dismisses rhetoric as just that—rhetoric—what followed proved otherwise: embassy and community center bombings in Argentina, Hezbollah’s reign of terror in Lebanon, suicide attacks in Bulgaria and beyond, the funding, arming and training of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, drone and missile barrages, and most recently, the horrific massacre of over 1,200 Israelis on October 7th, 2023. 

Behind it all, directing and enabling the violence: Tehran.

In April 2024, Iran made history by launching over 300 drones and missiles directly at Israel—a historic and unprecedented escalation. It marked the first time the regime attacked Israel directly from its own territory. That wasn’t just a strategic military move. It was a message of hatred from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose decades of speeches have called Israel a “cancer,” a “tumor,” and a “rabid dog” that must be “uprooted.” 

Who can forget former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s threat to “wipe Israel off the face of the map”. In any other context, these words would be disqualifying for a world leader. But in the world of international diplomacy, Iran has been coddled, empowered, and allowed to spread its hate at the United Nations and across Europe, where this antisemitic terrorism has been tolerated and sometimes endorsed. 

But Iran’s campaign goes even deeper—it’s not only aimed at Israel’s destruction, but at the erasure of Jewish memory itself. In 2006 and again in 2016, the Iranian regime sponsored global Holocaust cartoon contests, inviting participants to mock the systematic murder of six million Jews. This grotesque state-sanctioned denial of history reveals the depth of Iran’s antisemitism: it is not enough for the regime to threaten Israel’s future—it seeks to defile the Jewish past. 

Let us be clear: the only other time in recent history when the Jewish people were threatened with total extermination was under Adolf Hitler. Like Hitler, Ali Khameinei cloaks his genocidal aspirations in ideology—this time not in racial purity but in extreme religious fanaticism. And like Hitler, he and his predecessor has used Jews and Israel as a convenient scapegoat to validate his existence, distract from his domestic failures, and rally radicals to his cause.

This is not just about Israel. This is about the world. Iran’s regime funds terrorism on nearly every continent, suppresses its own people, and builds nuclear weapons while lying to the international community. It undermines democracy, freedom, and peace wherever they try to take root. But there now America’s hesitance in joining the war feels eerily similar to its hesitance to entering World War Two and bombing the Nazi railroad that led into Hitler’s gas chambers. There must not be hesitance to eradicating evil.

And now, the Ayatollah’s hatred has begun to recoil upon him. Israel has struck back hard—destroying weapons depots, hitting key figures in Syria and Lebanon, and, most symbolically, bombing Iran’s own state broadcaster to send a powerful message: the propaganda ends here. Karma, it seems, has found its way to Tehran. 

History teaches us that those who promote violence and glorify hate—especially against the Jewish people—never prevail. Hitler is gone. And so too shall Khamenei follow. The Ayatollah’s hatred is now turning back on himself. That’s how history works. Hate is a fire that always burns the arsonist. Karma has arrived in Tehran.

When the dust finally settles, the Iranian people will hopefully be free from the yoke of this hateful, repressive regime. They deserve better. The world deserves better. And yes, the Jewish people—so often targeted, so often scapegoated—deserve to live without fear. Israelis and Iranians deserve a better future. 

We are called the “Chosen People”—not because we are special, but because we were chosen to safeguard the world through “tikkun olam”, the repair of the world. We have been Chosen to fight evil through pogroms, inquisitions, and genocide to show the world what strength, freedom, and moral clarity look like in the face of hate.

Let the world hear this truth: there is no room in the international community for governments that preach annihilation and deny the Holocaust. There is no justification—religious, political, or otherwise—for calling for the destruction of another nation or people. It’s time the world stopped tolerating Iran’s genocidal rhetoric and started holding it accountable.

Good riddance to hatred. Good riddance to the Ayatollahs’ twisted vision. The world must rise—on the side of life, peace, and liberty. The Jewish people will not be silent. We have lived through slavery, expulsions, crusades, blood libels and a genocide. And we will live through this. Stronger, prouder, freer.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/avi-benlolo-irans-hatred-of-israel-must-end-and-so-must-the-tyranny-behind-it

A national referendum should determine whether pro-Hamas activists should be free to glorify terrorism in our streets

Mar 14, 2025  In the heart of Toronto, a dangerous event unfolds yearly: Al-Quds Day, an annual rally held on the last Friday of Ramadan rooted in the extremist ideology of Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which calls for the destruction of Israel. 

What might appear to some as a political demonstration is, in reality, an event driven by a foreign terrorist entity — the Iranian regime, a state sponsor of terrorism that bankrolls groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. This rally does not promote peace or dialogue. It is a direct attack on Jewish people, their right to self-determination, and ultimately, on Canadian values.

The event’s organizers openly state that “Palestine resists; Zionism ceases to exist” — a blatant call for the eradication of Israel and, by extension, the Jewish people’s national homeland. According to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which Canada has adopted, denying Israel’s right to exist is inherently antisemitic.

Already, Jewish neighbourhoods and events are being targeted directly by pro-Hamas activists in Toronto and across the country. If you are not Jewish and your home was blocked by jihadists, how would you feel? It is often said that Jews are the canary in the coal mine. Well, this is a great example of what is happening right here in our country. If Canadians continue allowing this behaviour and do not demand immediate action, they too will be impacted.

The greater danger is that events like this are being given an umbrella of legitimacy under the guise of so-called “anti-Palestinian racism” policies being pushed by certain activists. This Orwellian effort is not about protecting Palestinians from discrimination; rather, it is a calculated strategy to criminalize criticism of anti-Israel extremism. If these government guidelines are allowed to take root, Al-Quds Day and similar rallies will not only be tolerated but actively shielded under the false pretence of fighting racism.

This is a direct threat to public safety. We are already seeing the consequences of unchecked extremism in Europe, where police forces are struggling to regain control of their streets after years of inaction against radical Islamist demonstrations. Every week, new reports emerge of attacks on Jewish citizens and non-Muslim communities and growing no-go zones where authorities fear to tread. Canada must not follow this path.

As jihadist sentiments take free rein in Canada, the government must take urgent action to strengthen hate speech laws and enforce them without political bias. Hate speech is not free speech. It is incitement to violence, and when it goes unpunished, it emboldens extremists who seek to impose their ideology through fear and intimidation. We must categorically reject the notion that those who glorify terrorism, call for the destruction of Israel and target Jewish communities should be allowed to march freely through our streets. The message from our leaders must be clear: there is no place in Canada for those who promote terror, incite hatred and undermine the safety of our citizens.

Our neighbours to the south are already taking steps to curb radicalism on their campuses and in their streets. This week, when asked about the arrest and impending deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a radical Palestinian activist at Columbia University, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson did not mince words.

“If you are on a student visa, and you’re in America, and you’re an aspiring young terrorist who wants to prey upon your Jewish classmates, you’re going home,” Johnson said. “We’re going to arrest your tail and we’re going to send you home where you belong…. I appreciate free speech, I used to defend it in court, but this is far beyond the pale of that; you are threatening your classmates and spewing antisemitism and spewing all this hatred. It’s enough.”

Leaving our economic anger at America aside, this is the kind of attitude Canada desperately needs. Instead, our government is cowering in fear of pro-Hamas activists, refusing to crack down on those who glorify terrorism while silencing those who stand up for Israel and the Jewish community. If our federal, provincial and municipal governments refuse to take action, then it is time to let the Canadian public decide. A national referendum — or province-by-province referendums — should be held to determine whether Canadians want to allow terrorist-backed demonstrations like Al-Quds Day on our streets.

There is no doubt that Canadians are fed up. They have seen the footage of violent antisemitic mobs in London and they do not want the same happening here. They do not want their communities turned into battlegrounds for jihadist propaganda. They do not want their children growing up in a country where hatred against Jews is excused and legitimized.

If our government refuses to act, Canadians must take a stand. The time for silence is over. Canada is at a crossroads: do we stand up against extremism, or do we allow our streets to be hijacked by those who promote terror? The answer should be clear to every Canadian who values peace, democracy and security.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/avi-benlolo-terrorist-backed-al-quds-day-demonstrations-have-no-place-in-canada

30th Anniversary of Bombing in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES — Iran has been committing and supporting heinous acts of terrorism in the Middle East and around the world for years. It is responsible for war crimes committed in Syria, for supporting Hamas and Hezbollah’s hostility against Israel and for financing the war in Yemen. Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing 167 passengers, including many Canadians. It is also responsible for the horrific bombing of the Israeli Embassy and a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires. Can you imagine an Iran equipped with nuclear weapons?

Iran is accused of the devastating attack on the Israeli Embassy in Argentina. On that horrific day in 1992, 29 people were killed by the blast and 242 were injured.  Iran struck again just two years later, hitting the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA), killing 85 people and injuring hundreds more in the vicinity. Argentine state commissions and international investigations have implicated Iran and its terror proxies in the bombings, which were part of its shadow war against the State of Israel.  

Argentina immediately broke off diplomatic relations and severed its ties with the Islamic republic, accusing Iran of murdering Argentinian nationals. Yet despite Argentina’s obvious support for Israel and its Jewish community, the wounds and trauma of these terror attacks resonate profoundly with the country's Jewish population.  Argentina has issued five requests through Interpol for the extradition of suspected Iranian terrorists who were identified as having been complicit in the attacks. 

Still, most Latin-American Jewish community leaders who are currently in Argentina for meetings with the Latin Jewish Congress expressed shock and dismay at the lack of progress in bringing the perpetrators to justice.  In fact, Argentina’s top Jewish leader, Jorge Knoblovits — who sits on the Abraham Global Peace Initiative's board of advisors and presides over the community’s umbrella organization, the Asociationes Israelitas Argentinas — is concerned that Iran will demand immunity for its crimes, as part of the ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna.  By most accounts, the Argentinian Jewish community is highly respected by the government. In a meeting I attended with Argentinian President Alberto Fernández earlier this week, he spoke of the nation’s shared values and the importance of its Jewish community. This sentiment was shared by multiple government officials with whom I had the pleasure of meeting.  

The City of Buenos Aires’ undersecretary for human rights and cultural pluralism, Pamela Malewicz, told me that the city instituted legislation marking March 17 as the Day of Memory and Solidarity with the Victims of the Attack on the Embassy of Israel, to make people aware of the consequences of international terrorism and promote peace. Most significantly, the legislation is incorporated into the school calendar so that each year all students read a text of remembrance of the attack against the Israeli Embassy.  While the terror attacks against Jewish institutions unified the city, life hasn’t been the same ever since. Nearly every Jewish building I toured, including the Macabi Jewish community centre and the AMIA complex, is defended by massive concrete barriers. Every visitor must endure a complex system of security measures upon entry, which is often more stringent than airport security. 

The doors on these buildings are all made from bullet- and blast-proof heavy metal. Even the newly renovated Holocaust Museum is heavily guarded (imagine the sad irony).  As nuclear negotiations between the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and Iran continue in Vienna, the West must make every effort to prevent Iran from ever acquiring nuclear weapons. Russia’s assault on Ukraine illustrates just how dangerous it is for the West to deal with genocidal regimes, especially when they fall under the protection of a nuclear umbrella.  

Iran has a history of supporting terrorism and extremism throughout the Middle East and around the world and has threatened to wipe Israel off the map. Even while Iran was sitting across the negotiation table from the United States, it launched a ballistic missile attack on Iraq’s northern city of Erbil, which was described by Reuters as "an unprecedented assault on the capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region that appeared to target the United States and its allies."

  This year’s anniversary of the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina is more important than ever. The Iranians may be sitting in beautifully tailored suits in fancy hotels in Vienna, creating an illusion of civility. But make no mistake: an Iran guided by religious fundamentalism with a nuclear weapon is much more dangerous than even Russia.  

So why are we making a deal with the devil?  National Post - March 18, 2022

Tehran has threatened to wipe Israel off the face of the map before. The radical regime reached another low in its terror campaign this week when it published another direct threat to launch a missile attack against the Jewish State. The ayatollah’s mouthpiece, The Tehran Times, published a map of Israel with dozens of target sites Iran says its missiles could reach. “Just one wrong move!” threatened the headline.

In March, the Iranians revealed the existence of an underground missile complex — a “missile city.” Satellite images taken Saturday by California-based imaging company Planet Labs Inc. and obtained by The Associated Press showed what appear to be launch preparations at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport. This is clearly in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which called upon Iran not to take any action involving ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Without question, the Iranians are striving for Middle East dominance, destabilizing the region. This week, they harshly criticized the United Arab Emirates for hosting an official visit with Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the first of its kind. For them, there is no making peace, and the Abraham Accords, which are fostering new and positive aspirations throughout the region, are counterintuitive to the Islamic Revolution which took hold of the country in 1979. Iran is striving for regional hegemony and as Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, pointed out this week, it is “working to weaken American resolve and get Washington to withdraw, so that Iran can inherit the region as its own.”

Other than a radicalized version of Islam that rejects Judaism, there is little rhyme or reason for Iran’s hostility. It shares no border with Israel. It has no historic or present territorial claim and has never had an all-out war with the Jewish State. Although Iran was one of 13 countries voting against the UN Partition Plan in 1947, its relations with Israel, particularly from the mid 1950s until 1979, are sometimes defined as having been “friendly,” with trade and diplomacy flourishing between the countries.

Its U-turn not only against Israel, but also against America with the violent overrunning of its embassy, was a necessary confrontation with the West. The new Islamic regime led by Ayatollah Khomeini declared Israel an “enemy of Islam” and "The Little Satan," while the United States was called "The Great Satan." Its sharp anti-West stance was irrational yet necessary for a new national identity that provided supreme religious control over Iranians and an external enemy that would build cohesion and unity internally and externally over the next 40 years.

With this, and while Iranians have no particular historic affiliation with Fatah or the Palestine Liberation Organization, the mullahs quickly adopted their cause to overthrow what they refer to as the “Zionist regime.” In so doing, they have aligned themselves with vicious anti-Israel terror organizations including Hezbollah and Hamas, whom they now use as proxies against Israel and the West. Indeed, just this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian congratulated Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on the anniversary of the founding of the Hamas "resistance movement.”

According to one published report, Abdollahian told Haniyeh: "The fake Zionist regime is the mother of all calamities and the root-cause of problems in the region and, therefore, the few regional countries that move toward normalizing ties with this fabricated regime are acting against the security and interests of the region and the Muslim ummah.” With this in mind, and through its proxies in the Middle East and now in Yemen, there is little doubt Iran is a serious threat not only to Israel, but to the world at large.

Last year, Iran was responsible for shooting down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 with 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents on board. It has fired missiles on an American base in Iraq; been implicated in the murders of American soldiers in Lebanon; and has been held responsible for the 1994 terrorist attack on the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires that killed 86 and injured more than 200. Today, its tentacles are far deeper around the world as it cements relationships with Venezuela, China, Russia and numerous African nations.

All this knowledge begs one question: how can Iran be trusted with nuclear weapons? Driven by a radical Islamic ideology that is hell-bent on committing a second Holocaust, the ayatollahs are the greatest threat to global stability. “Iran’s nuclear weapons program is no longer years or even decades away from completion, but on the verge of a real breakout”, says David Pollock of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Similarly, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, says the 2015 nuclear deal is no longer sufficient for the reality of Iran in 2022: “There’s no other country other than those making nuclear weapons reaching those high levels” of uranium enrichment, he told The Associated Press.

As the nuclear talks with Iran resume in Vienna, European and American leaders are coming to the realization that they are spinning their wheels. Iran’s negotiation prowess is well known. It tricked the Obama administration into ponying up $1.7 billion, which ultimately only strengthened Tehran's weapons development program and terror activities in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. Now it’s clear the Iranian regime is biding its time. A deal would only buy Tehran more time and destabilize the region. As hard a pill it might be for the Biden administration to swallow, it must act decisively now by returning to sanctions and freezing Iran’s ability to mobilize.

The nuclear clock is closing in on midnight. Iran has blatantly threatened America’s ally, Israel. The time for action is now.

National Post December 17, 2021