Shas Party Chairman and member of the security cabinet MK Aryeh Deri gave a special interview to Patriots host Yinon Magal on Sunday, during which he discussed, among other topics, the long-term meaning of the October 7 massacre for the Israeli people.
“October 7 was a devastating blow, but it marked the end of our complacency,” said Deri. “That day, the full scope of the plan to destroy the people of Israel was exposed.” Despite the immense tragedy, he said, “in a certain sense, the October 7 massacre saved the people of Israel.”
Deri, 65, has held numerous ministerial roles, including Minister of the Interior, Minister for the Development of the Negev and Galilee, Minister of Economy, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Health. In 1999, he was convicted of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and sentenced to three years in prison. Following his release, he was later convicted again—this time for breach of trust—and received a suspended sentence and a fine. He returned to politics ahead of the 2013 elections and reclaimed the leadership of Shas. In 2022, he resigned from the Knesset as part of a plea deal over tax offenses but returned later that year and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. In January 2023, the High Court of Justice invalidated his appointment, leading to his dismissal. But when the October 7 war broke out, he was invited to be part of the war cabinet.
According to Deri, the first factor that “saved the people of Israel” was Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s decision to act alone: “He chose to strike first, instead of waiting for the full regional axis to mobilize.”
The second, he said, was the sudden clarity about Iran’s role: “Suddenly, we and the entire world saw who Iran really is. What happened as a result? Iran lost all its proxies. Now it’s exposed.”
As Prime Minister Netanyahu has already stated, the new reality in the region pushed Iran into a desperate sprint toward nuclear weapons. “They no longer have the proxy network as a strategic tool,” Deri explained. “So, what did they do? They channeled all their efforts into reaching nuclear capability—something they had always kept just out of reach. That’s why, in recent months, there’s been a sense of emergency, an urgent need to act.”
THE HAREDIM COULD HAVE KILLED THE IRAN OPERATION
In the final political misstep before the launch of the operation in Iran, the government found itself on the brink of collapse, with the Knesset nearly beginning dissolution proceedings. As many will recall, after a tense and dramatic day, a decision was made to hold off—at least until the possibility of new agreements could be explored. One of the key figures who worked intensively, and ultimately succeeded, in preventing the dissolution was Aryeh Deri. The reason for his efforts is now becoming clearer.
“I’ll let you in on a secret,” Deri told Magal. “If, God forbid, the Knesset had been dissolved that day, there was a real chance the entire operation would have suffered a fatal setback—especially from the Americans. Think about it: President Trump would have looked at the situation and said, ‘Why should I support a government that’s heading into elections?’”
Deri said he was determined not to let the government fall—but acknowledged it “wasn’t easy.” In the interview, he described the pressure of carrying the secret alone. “I couldn’t tell anyone. Nobody knew the operation was planned for the following night. Nobody understood.” The prime minister was in another room on the phone with Secretary of State Rubio, special envoy Witkoff, President Trump, and Vice President Vance—this was all happening during the political crisis, “And I had to sit with Yuli Edelstein, with the attorney general, and with my Haredi colleagues—who didn’t know anything.”
Deri revealed that Foreign and Security Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein was one of the few who had been briefed on the imminent strike. “Yuli knew in the final days. He knew—and I think that was one of the key factors in his realization that we couldn’t drag this (the fight over the Haredi draft bill – DI) out any longer. Something had to give.”
He added, “It was incredibly difficult, especially because I couldn’t share it. Not with anyone. Yes, I told the rabbis and my colleagues that the State of Israel was facing grave decisions. Everyone assumed I meant future dilemmas regarding Iran and other matters. But no one realized it was already happening—that the decision had been made, that the plan was in place, and that the planes were ready to go Thursday night.”
DIVINE HELP ON ATTACK NIGHT
When asked by Magal whether he believed Prime Minister Netanyahu had grown stronger in his faith—given that he was raised in a secular, atheist home—Deri answered without hesitation: “Unequivocally.”
“He feels it,” Deri said. “On October 7, we were in a state of deep humiliation, and he was there—he experienced it. A terrible humiliation. And over time, he saw the immense kindnesses that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed upon us.”
Deri emphasized that these developments were not just divine, but also the result of intense human effort. “Yes, it was hard work—tremendous effort by him, by his colleagues, by the army, and by all the security forces—but he saw it with his own senses. And especially over the last month, when he saw what happened with the Americans and with Trump, it became clear to him.”
Deri revealed that shortly after the Israeli planes took off, it became apparent the operation was at risk. “We were sitting in the bunker when it turned out that the Iranians had already caught on—through tweets and also through so-called ‘good people,’ our so-called partners in the region,” he said. “They figured it out two hours in advance. Some of the targets we had expected to hit were no longer at their original locations. We were worried—concerned that, God forbid, we were starting off on the wrong foot.”
But then, as Deri described it, a “great divine help” unfolded. Instead of scattering, many of the intended targets regrouped elsewhere. “All those who had left their homes didn’t spread out as expected. Quite the opposite—they clustered in new locations. That actually worked to our advantage: we ended up using fewer bombs. Instead of one bomb for one target, we were able to eliminate several senior figures with a single strike.”
The outcome, he said, surpassed all expectations. “Even the military, which had shown us what it considered its best-case scenario, ended up exceeding those targets. We achieved far more than originally planned.”
Deri closed his remarks with a message of spiritual clarity. “In the end, we’re witnessing open miracles—events that clearly go beyond human capability. You can see a higher hand at work, declaring: ‘The kingdom of wickedness will be uprooted and destroyed.’ The heirs of the evil Haman are now paying the full price for their hatred and their plans to annihilate us. There is no difference between Khamenei and Haman.”
