Israel Update: Deputy Consul General for Israel Speaks

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Yulia Rachinsky-Spivakov | Deputy Consul General for the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, CA.

The day before Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published—for the first time in 20 years—that Iran is in violation of its international nuclear obligations. For decades, Israel has been warning that Iran is developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a peaceful nuclear program. When the IAEA confirmed that information, Israeli leadership took self-defensive action the next day, striking those Iranian nuclear facilities with wave after wave of bombs. 

“The IAEA said they cannot testify to the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program,” stated Yulia Rachinsky-Spivakov, the Deputy Consul General for the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, CA. “That is a huge statement from a professional, non-biased international agency. Now you have this out there, ... and the Iranian regime openly states they want to eliminate the state of Israel. They have a clock in Tehran Square counting back the time until Israel disappears from this world, so we felt like we didn’t have a choice, and we decided to act.”  

In response, Iran has rained down ballistic missiles and drones on Israel, targeting civilian populations. Over 500 citizens have been injured and 24 people killed. Yulia pointed out that while Iran is targeting civilian areas, Israel is focused on nuclear facilities and sites where long range missile arsenal is stored. “We have two proclaimed goals for this operation: one to eliminate their nuclear program and second to significantly diminish or eliminate the ballistic missile arsenal of Tehran and curtail its capabilities to support terror proxies in our region,” Yulia said. While grateful for the ongoing support of the American administration, Yulia acknowledges that Israel is acting unilaterally in the operation with the intent to reach these goals.  

Even while negotiations between the U.S. and Iran were ongoing, Iran had been accelerating its nuclear enrichment program. Yulia revealed, “They were able to enrich enough uranium to build nine atomic bombs, and a third of that was actually achieved in recent months. So, really it was a matter of weeks to a few months [for them] to be able to build a nuclear bomb.” 

Experiencing decades of terrorism, Israelis have steeled their resolve to put an end to the Iranian threat, despite the cost. “We are not fighting only our war but the war of Arab moderate states in the region and other countries. We are fighting the war for civilization because the Iranian regime is a radical terrorist state, sponsoring terror all over the world. What Israel is doing right now, we need to have international support for—it is a very decisive, historical moment,” declared Yulia. 

Quickly clarifying, Yulia assures Israel is not fighting the Iranian people but the Iranian regime. “They have a great culture, and we share a lot of similarities with the Persians. Before 1979, we had a diplomatic presence in Tehran, and we had great relations. We still have diaspora in Iran. We have large Persian-Jewish communities in Israel and in the U.S.,” In LA, where we are located, it is the largest in the U.S.,” Yulia remarked. 

Thankful for the support from Calvary Chapels, Yulia encouraged pastors to remember Israel in their sermons and for congregations to expressly pray for the success of the righteous Israeli operation. “The Iranian regime poses a threat not only to its neighboring countries, but also its own people. ... They disrespect and neglect human rights. It is a very religiously intolerant country, and we know the religious minorities in Iran are highly persecuted.”

Rockets and Interceptions over Tel Aviv (Credit: CBS News).

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