“The situation in the Middle East is very tense“, said to NOVA the Israeli Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Yossi Levi-Sfari.
After the missile attack by Iran in response to strikes by Israel, the region is creating a prerequisite for a large-scale escalation. “This is war – not just a conflict, but already a war”, the diplomat was categorical.
The ambassador was frank about the scale of the victims and the nature of the Iranian attack. “We have seven victims – six in Bat Yam and four more in a small Arab town in northern Israel. The women, the children, the elderly – all are civilians. "It was an indiscriminate attack," said Levi-Sfari, adding: "They didn't even try to hit military infrastructure. Their goal was to terrorize the population. This is a war crime."
He also shared personal impressions from his family: "I heard devastating stories of fear, of horror in the shelters."
Regarding the Bulgarian community in Israel, the ambassador stressed: "Currently, about 50 Bulgarians want to leave Israel. However, evacuation options are limited. "Our airspace is closed. The only option for leaving is by land. Nearly 150,000 Israelis cannot return home." Bulgaria is currently hosting many Israelis who have fled their homeland,” the ambassador revealed.
According to Levi-Sfari, there is no confirmed information about Bulgarian victims. However, he pointed out: “Bat Yam is a city with many residents of Bulgarian origin. The city suffered severely, we have six dead and three missing.”
“Iran is a dangerous country, precisely because it combines an ideology of expansion with nuclear ambitions,” the diplomat stated categorically. “They are developing missiles not only with a range to Israel, but also to Europe. They give missiles to the Houthis, arm “Hezbollah,” support the Assad regime and finance “Hamas.”
“Imagine a country that has no real threat from its neighbors, but is developing a nuclear bomb. Why? Because it wants power through threat“, he warned.
The ambassador also commented on the danger of the activation of the so-called axis of resistance – Iran, “Hezbollah“, Houthis and other proxies. “It has already activated. “Hezbollah“ has been attacking Israel since October 7. The Houthis continue to fire missiles at us every few days, but “Hezbollah“ has already been weakened. However, the group from Yemen is a major threat to Europe. Iranian drones have been flying over Europe for years“.
He stressed that the problem with the Houthis is not only Israeli: “They held Bulgarian hostages. They are blocking a sea corridor that is crucial for world trade“.
When asked whether Israel had shared information about the airstrikes with its partners in advance, the diplomat replied laconically: “The information was known. I did not say that there was coordination“.
Levi-Sfari added that the US was already providing support by protecting the air shield over Israel, but did not want to speculate on wider participation: “It depends on the development of the situation“.
The diplomat stressed that Israel was ready for a prolonged operation: “We knew what we were starting. We expected Iran's reaction“. He noted that the goal is clear – “to stop Iran's nuclear program and to end their ability to develop long-range missiles“.
“This will not end soon. It may not be a matter of days, but of weeks. But if Iran agrees to end its nuclear program and missile production, it will end immediately. We are preparing for a not-so-short war. What Iran considers to be the defense of its country is a threat to other countries. What will we do if the Houthis or “Hezbollah“ receive a nuclear bomb as a gift from Iran?“, asked Levi-Sfari.
“The international community understands the situation, especially the European one. The question is how ready it is to express this understanding“, the ambassador concluded. “One thing is said in closed rooms, another in public. But the facts are clear“.