In the final months of World War II, with the Allies victory at hand, Adolf Hitler and his inner circle faced a grim choice. They knew that the annihilation of the Jews was draining vast resources from the German war machine. Manpower, trains and railways, and even Germany's standing in the eyes of the world.
The Nazis tried to conceal the crimes they had committed. They could have used the remaining time to improve their situation on the battlefield and to erase evidence. Yet it was not common sense that guided the decision-making of the Third Reich, but an irrational hatred of a people who had done them no wrong. And so, precisely when they knew their end was fast approaching, they only accelerated their murder enterprise on a scale humanity had never known. Killing Jews mattered more to them than saving themselves and their nation.
On Iran's agenda
That historical precedent is highly relevant to these tense days. Just like Adolf Hitler, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wakes up in the morning and goes to sleep at night consumed by hatred of Jews. In the book From Auschwitz to Tehran, author Eran Harmoni recounts a rare encounter between former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar and Khamenei.
"Aznar noticed Khamenei standing at the side of the room preparing tea for himself. He approached and stood next to him. When he saw that Khamenei was not speaking and was focused on making his tea, Aznar decided to make small talk to break the ice and asked, 'Sir, what is Iran's national agenda?' Khamenei did not answer and continued stirring his tea. Aznar thought perhaps the question had not been understood clearly, and asked again in simpler, more direct terms: 'Sir, when you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you think about?' At that point, while still stirring his tea, Khamenei replied simply: 'To destroy Israel.'"
"Death to America, death to Israel"
In other words, the repeated chants of the ayatollahs, "Death to America, death to Israel," are not empty propaganda meant to shore up public opinion. They are a burning, real, goal-driven hatred. As we have learned in the hardest possible ways, such hatred has deadly consequences. We struggle to comprehend it, but this is what Khamenei lives and acts for.
The fanatical hostility of the ayatollahs suffered a severe blow with the major successes of Operation With a Lion's Strength. These achievements exposed the regime of evil in its weakness and signaled to the Iranian people that there is hope. More broadly, Israel's ability to break free from the chokehold of the October 7 massacre and turn the tables undoubtedly stirs rage and an unrestrained desire for revenge in Tehran.
Added in is the growing popular unrest, itself a result of heavy international sanctions. All of this is unfolding as Khamenei is deep into his ninth decade of life, and as Trump stands ready to rain down the seemingly limitless firepower of the American air force. In other words, the Islamic Republic, Khamenei's life's work, may go up in flames, flames that could well consume him too, with Israel clearly having poured a great deal of fuel on the fire.
Like a wounded animal with nothing left to lose, the Hitler precedent is indeed relevant. Under these conditions, there is a high likelihood that on their way to destruction, this modern Nazi figure and his associates will try to take the Jews down with them. They already blame Israel for their troubles. That is why recent remarks by the speaker of Iran's parliament are not an empty threat. They reflect a genuine state of mind. Hatred, the sages taught us long ago, corrupts judgment. That is why his words must be taken with the utmost seriousness. The only consolation is that this is precisely how Israel's security establishment is treating them.
