Fifty-eight years ago, on June 5, 1967, Israel launched a preemptive air strike that neutralized the Egyptian and Syrian air forces in a matter of hours. That bold and calculated action and the Six-Day War changed the face of the Middle East and ultimately ensured the survival of the fledgling Jewish state. Today, history echoes.
On June 13, in the pre-dawn hours, Israel once again acted decisively—this time striking directly at the heart of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
In a stunning, coordinated operation that will be studied for decades to come, more than 200 fighter jets from the Israeli Air Force executed a preemptive strike on critical Iranian nuclear sites, infrastructure and key leadership. Among those eliminated were top IRGC architects and generals—reportedly in a closed-door meeting planning an imminent missile strike on Israel.
This was not an impulsive operation. It was the culmination of over thirty years of warnings, diplomacy, restraint and endless attempts at peaceful resolution. The Islamic Republic of Iran has never been vague about its intentions. Its leaders have declared—clearly, consistently and repeatedly—their desire to annihilate the Jewish state. And while Israel hoped the West’s diplomatic efforts might yield a different course, the time for illusions is long past.
The Jewish people and the Jewish state have learned the harshest lessons from history. When a regime openly declares its intent to destroy you and works methodically to acquire the means to do so, inaction is not an option.
Friday’s action is not a strike against the Iranian people. It is a strike against the terror regime that has hijacked their country and brought darkness to the region. This is the same regime that arms, funds, and trains Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and countless other terrorist proxies. From Buenos Aires to Bulgaria, from Syria to Sudan, the fingerprints of the IRGC are everywhere terror has taken root.
This day, June 13—6/13—carries deep symbolism. To Jews, the number 613 represents the commandments of the Torah. It is a number of meaning, of mission, of moral clarity. And today, it marks a moment where that clarity was put into action.
Let it be known: Israel does not seek war. Israel seeks peace. And where hands have been mutually extended in peace, peace has flourished.
There is peace with Egypt. There is peace with Jordan. The Abraham Accords have yielded a beautiful peace with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and South Sudan.
We in Israel have shown, and will continue to show, that when our neighbors choose peace, we will meet them with open arms and open hearts. But when our enemies choose terror and destruction, we will meet them with resilience, resolve and strength.
Let this not only be remembered as the day Israel defended itself. Let it be remembered as the day that marked the beginning of the liberation for the Iranian people—the beginning of a future where they can throw off the shackles of tyranny and rejoin the community of nations with dignity and freedom.
Let us not forget, as of this morning, 53 hostages remain trapped in Hamas’s terror tunnels in Gaza. The same ideology that governs Iran governs their fate. The world’s silence is complicity. This must be a day of reckoning for all who claim to stand for human rights, dignity and peace. “Bring them Home Now.”
“Operation Rising Lion” reminds the world of five core truths:
- When a tyrant declares their genocidal intent and acquires the means to achieve it, believe them. Act before it is too late.
- “Never Again” is not a slogan. It is a strategy. It must be proven by actions, not words.
- Terror must never be cooperated with or condoned. It must be uprooted.
- Leaders who do not confront violence in their midst—whether antisemitism, racism, or terrorism—will eventually fall victim to their own cowardice.
- The United Nations, in its current form, has lost its moral compass and capacity to fulfill its mission. It must be reformed or replaced.
Today, history has turned a page. A two-hour window changed the trajectory of a region and reminded the world that the Jewish people will not wait for their destruction before acting.
We will not repeat the mistakes of the past. We will not be silent.
We will not be passive. We will defend our people, protect our nation and, when necessary, act to preserve our future.
To our allies, our friends—those nations and leaders and voices of conscience who stand with us, those who pray for us, those who speak up when it’s hard: Thank you.
There are no words to express our gratitude. The battle for truth, for freedom, for moral clarity is often lonely, but you remind us we are not alone.
June 13, 2025 is a date that will be remembered in history not just as a day of bold, decisive moral leadership and inspiring intelligence and precision execution, but as the day the tide began to turn.