Israel's ambassador to the US, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, fumed at a BBC broadcaster when he wondered in an interview with him: "Why didn't the US and Israel present evidence of a real and immediate threat from Iran" - before launching an attack against it.
""Who did we have to show evidence to, the BBC?" Leiter responded sharply. "We showed the findings to each other, and we are sure that they were determined to use nuclear weapons as soon as they got them, but now I don't understand the essence of the question. There are ballistic missiles being launched at 12 different countries - that is not made up, and it is not something that needs to be proven, it is clear that they have ballistic missiles that they are ready to fire at all their neighbors. If they had nuclear warheads they would use them too, it is that simple.".
"Appeal to Hezbollah and don't lecture me.".
— Ariel Kahana Ariel Kahana (@arik3000) March 8, 2026
Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter @yechielleiter In a confrontation with a BBC presenter who questioned Iran's ambition for nuclear weapons and wondered about the humanitarian situation in Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/4d7sGpRxje
When the interviewer moved to the front line in Lebanon, and asked if Israel was thinking about the consequences for Lebanese residents not involved in the fighting, Ambassador Leiter was angry: "Are you equally concerned about the tens of thousands of Israelis who had to evacuate their homes when Hezbollah fired rockets at their communities? It doesn't seem to worry you too much.".
He added: "There are definitely humanitarian implications. There are humanitarian implications when you allow a terrorist organization to take over a country and direct 150,000 missiles at its neighbors - and if anyone has a problem with this humanitarian issue, they should present it to the terrorist organization Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, and not to Israel, which is responding to an aggressor against it.".
""We are a people who respect ourselves, and a country that respects itself, and there is no need to preach to us about humanitarian issues beyond our borders while missiles are being fired at us.".
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