Israel's Economy Minister Nir Barkat has warned Iran of overwhelming retaliation if provoked again and firmly ruled out Pakistani participation in any Gaza transition force. In an interview with NDTV's Vishnu Som at Davos, Barkat said, "We targeted them once, we hit them hard, and if they try to pick a fight with us, we'll hit them harder seven times."
On peacekeeping forces in Gaza, he added, "Any country that supported terror is not welcome...and that includes Pakistan."
Barkat accused Iran of destabilizing the Middle East through its decades-long support of armed proxies. "Iran...has been the head of the evil axis," he said. "They put a target to destroy the state of Israel...created thousands of ballistic missiles...strengthened Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and they proposed an imminent threat to Israel."
He credited Israel's military response with exposing Iranian vulnerability. "We dramatically crippled them...hit them very hard...and demonstrated that they're not as big and strong as they thought," Barkat said, adding, "I believe it influenced the whole region, and now they got to get their act together."
However, Barkat emphasized that Israel's focus was defence-not regime change. "The Israeli interest is to defend Israel," he said. "If they propose a threat, we will hit them hard. If they want to overthrow their regime, it's in Iran's best interest."
Referencing historic peace agreements with Egypt, Jordan, and the Abraham Accords, Barkat said he hoped for a future in which "our enemies become friends."
He added, "If and when Iran will change its direction and want to seek peace with Israel, we'd be happy to collaborate with them."
Barkat voiced strong support for the Trump administration's peace framework, describing it as "a better alternative than the UN, which is biased."
He cited cooperation with local Arab leadership in Hebron as a viable model for future governance in Gaza. "The sheikhs there...want to join the Abraham Accords...to fight terror with us...to collaborate on the economic side."
He dismissed the two-state solution as unrealistic. "It's a non-starter," Barkat said, pointing to near-unanimous opposition in Israel's parliament. "The Palestinian Authority...wants a state in order to destroy us."
On international peacekeeping proposals, Barkat drew a firm line. "We will not accept the Qataris, the Turks...and that includes Pakistan," he said. "They've been very supportive of the jihadi organisation in Gaza, and we will not trust them having boots on the ground."
