"This Is Where We Draw The Line!" | Iran Attacks Israel

well welcome to a special Piers Morgan

uncensored debate about the ongoing

situation with Iran and Israel and of

course what's still going on in Gaza uh

passions are running high on both sides

so I brought people from both sides

together today to have a free and Frank

and fearless conversation about exactly

what is going on right now so I've been

joined by the comedian podcaster Dave

Smith first time we've met in public uh

in person great to see you Dave very

nice to meet you the conservative

commentator Deborah Lee great to see you

the Palestinian American activist Nadin

kiswani good to see you back Nadin and

joining us uh remotely from uh Los

Angeles is El Labon who's an Iranian

British American activist and lawyer uh

and it's the front page of the New York

Post today uh after a very powerful

video that you put on uh social media

which has really captured people's

attention uh in which you lambast people

for only now waking up to what has been

going on in Iran uh so welcome to all of

you uh Dave let me start with

you a lot of stuff has been going on in

the last few days and at the center of

it is the fact that Israel attacked a uh

consulate that belongs to Iran in Syria

killing uh some military leaders from uh

Iran and Iran having signaled it would

do this responded with tremendous Force

but also uniquely directly at Israel

from Iran which we haven't seen before

uh some people think this was just

theater that they warned people

deliberately so that this would just be

something that would be for maybe for

the domestic audience at home others

think it actually signals a real

escalation here and we might be

teetering if we're not Camp careful on a

major war in the region what's your take

on this well okay there's no question

that there is a threat of a wider war in

the region and that's been true long

before these missiles went off that's

really been true since October 7th um

you have a lot of Dynamics with the

houthis Hezbollah um and of course Iran

this was clearly theater I mean there

they gave 72 hours warning this was this

was very similar to after Trump uh

assassinated solomani and they sent that

missile at the American base didn't kill

anybody it did not seem like they were

trying to Iran has even come out and

said after this we're done we we

responded they felt I think they needed

to to save face to their own domestic

population and one of the best things

that Donald Trump ever did in his

presidency was after that response from

Iran he said fine you can have the last

word we took out the person we wanted to

take out we didn't lose any any of our

people um Biden clearly has signaled

that he doesn't want Israel to respond

to this Israel would be insane to

respond to Iran as they've claimed

they're going to do why would they be

insane because listen at this point

Israel has lost much of the world uh

over this war and they'd basically be

waving the finger at the US uh to do

this they're they'd be risking a wider

War uh Joe Biden has signaled that

they'd have to go at it alone that he's

not going to back them up on any

offensive attack against Iran what you

know every pro-israeli person that I've

ever met has always talked about uh the

Peril of Israel that we're this tiny

little country surrounded by all of

these hostile Nations and there's so

much anti-Semitism in the world if

that's the case why would you

intentionally try to make this a broader

Regional War okay Deborah why I think

that it's extremely important for a

sovereign country to defend themselves

300 ballistic missiles if that was sent

to any other country the United States

where I'm a resident and I'm a citizen

only a citizen of the United States if

we receive 300 ballistic missiles

overnight even if it took 10 hours 3

days to get here that country would

cease to exist and it's only a question

of sovereignty when it comes to Israel

which in and of itself is an anti-israel

ideology that oh why should Israel be

able to defend themselves I do not want

a bigger War I do not want it to get

bigger I don't want more people dying I

want this war to come to an end as fast

as possible but I think that this can't

be the norm that oh you can just send

ballistic missiles at Israel hundreds

and nothing happens you can just get

away with it I think deterrence is the

most powerful tool we have in the Middle

East and that Terror groups only listen

to force they don't listen to Peaceful

the the ultimate deterrent here was that

Iran fired off 300 missiles and

absolutely nothing apart from one or two

apparently landed anywhere near Israel

one little girl was was badly injured

which is appalling but in terms of what

they were trying to do perhaps with

these missiles and what actually

happened it was a failure so wasn't it

proof that actually unlike October the

7th Israel's defenses held up very well

and wasn't it also extremely pertinent

to this that you had Jordan racing to

help them you had Saudi Arabia racing to

help them you had the UK you had France

and other countries I mean there was a

big Coalition immediately helping Israel

to repel these missiles isn't that in

itself a a pretty clear deterrent that

you can try but you're not going to get

anywhere I mean I think it was great to

see the countries come together in

defense of Israel but this is more of a

testament to the Iron Dome than anything

else thank God for the Iron Dome it is

amazing technology it protected millions

of lives if this did not exist these

Rockets could have fallen they don't

know if it's falling on an Arab family a

Jewish Family a Jews family they just

want to kill people and thank God that

Israel was able to defend themselves

what do you think Israel should do I

mean right now I think they need to do

something I'm not a military adviser but

I think something along the lines that

says you cannot mess with us we are a

sovereign country you can't send 300

ballistic missiles and get away I think

that would either be a threat of force

or I think threatening is rightfully so

right now that would be the first step

saying hey you do this again or we're

going to weaponize we're going to get

ready to come for you you don't touch us

we will destroy it we will blow your

regime off the map and can I just I mean

if we're talking about the principle of

a sovereign country is Iran a sovereign

country is Syria a sovereign country

because Israel bombs Syria every couple

months with impunity okay that in of

itself is not true but Israel we mean

that's a fact Israel BS Syria whenever

they feel like of terrorism they

supported they not they support Kamas

they support no evidence evidence that

they supported October 7 that has

nothing to do with their sov listen

wellist it is a separ attack and this is

you brought up the issue of a sovereign

country and then as soon as I ask the

question we're pivoting to other things

first of all our CIA has said that they

believe the Iranians the Iranians were

shocked on October 7th so there's no

evidence has been provided they were

Israel it's the Islamic regime and the

Islamic Republic does not well the

Islamic that's part of it but the

Islamic Republic has made life a living

hell for Iranians for many years Iranian

Jews live there there was a GL okay I'm

sorry I understand I understand what

you're saying yeah nobody's argu support

I'm not arguing that Iran is not a

repressive government that's not my

argument but you're making the case that

there's the the argument is a sovereign

country and so that's why Israel is in

defense of this I'm just saying is Syria

a sovereign country because as you noted

Pierce that's where this started well

let me bring in Nadine here we we've had

some fiery debates before about what's

happening in Gaza but on this do you

have any defense for what is happening

in terms of what Iran did I mean I agree

with your framing I think that the

ultimate message of deterence was sent

by Iran it was ultimately um their

Embassy their sovereignty that was

attacked at first they actually had two

people that were killed by these um

missiles that Israel sent and they

didn't kill anyone you know just as um

the yemeni people who have been seizing

these ships um are are sending a message

that you know let in humanitarian Aid

and we'll let these ships pass through

it's not about um killing people it's

why why should Israel just accept people

firing rockets at them well why should

anyone accept Israel firing Rockets come

to that part of the debate in a minute

but why should Israel ever accept people

firing rockets at them whether it's the

hoties whether it's Hezbollah whether

it's Hamas whether it's Iran why should

they just in principle they are I mean

you you put it right there they are a

tiny country surrounded by I mean I once

interviewed Netanyahu in Jerusalem and

he took me to a map behind his desk and

it was quite a powerful thing he did

performative but powerful he said watch

and he put his hand on Saudi Arabia he

put his hand on Iran his hand on Egypt

he went round all the big countries

bordering uh Israel and then he took his

thumb and he went watch and he put his

little thumb where Israel was surrounded

by these huge handprint countries people

in Israel feel pretty vulnerable because

of that and they feel vulnerable because

they're constantly being attacked now I

will come to the other part of that

which is how they responded to October

the 7th I will do that with you but just

on this alone if a country like uh Iran

decides to fire 300 missiles AI what are

you supposed to do as a country I mean

isra the Israelis are clearly trying um

to bring in the US to a regional a

broader Regional War this is what their

MO was from the beginning that wasn't

the question I asked you I think that's

that's what they were trying to do

though no I'm asking you what what

should Israel do in response to what

happened to them what's the correct

response for any country if you're hit

with 300 missiles I think they need to

understand that the world is growing

tired angry and frustrated with the

countless deaths that we're seeing

happening in Gaza tens and tens of

thousands of people so many children uh

people are starving to death people are

freezing to death they need to

understand that the world is angry and

they need to put an end that had nothing

to do with why Iran launched 300

missiles at Israel it was nothing to do

with happened in Gaza except that Israel

would say they attacked the Consulate in

Syria as a part an attack on people they

believed were collaborating with herass

over October the 7th so it does have it

to do with it it does but that wasn't

the main focus was a Revenge attack for

what happened at the consulate you know

I think it wasn't about actually what's

going on in Gaza you know I don't think

that there is really anything left to

debate here aside from the fact that

there is a genocide going on it's been

going on for 6 months Israel is a rogue

state

just as Nazi Germany just as aart South

Africa

was just be honest you want us to take

it you want us to all die to these

missiles that's the honest answer that

you're avoiding here if you can't say it

is wrong for a country to send 300

ballistic missiles to innocent civilians

I could say that they can you say it was

wrong for Israel to put Gazza Under

Siege and blockade for the better part

of the last two decades for them to

murder 40,000 people for to Mur 15,000

children okay your numbers are coming

from Kamas for 1948

by why is it not onas to the Palestinian

people let me let me bring in El who's

trying to get in here elica you are the

only actual Iranian amongst us you were

born there so what is your response to

what you've heard so far well I'm just

I'm really frustrated with the complete

Distortion of the narrative like you're

disc you're talking about these strikes

in Syria first of all not being on an

Iranian Embassy so let's just get our

fact straight it was on a military base

that was next to the Embassy why is the

military base there why is the Islamic

Republic um making Syria vulnerable to

these attacks you want to talk about

bombs on Syria guess who's doing that

guess who's doing that it's the Islamic

Republic by using other countries as a

base so it makes Syrian people

vulnerable to that so let's not just act

like there's strikes on there for no

reason second of all you talk about

civilians people were actually killed in

that strike which targeted senior irgc

leaders who were meeting with Hezbollah

meeting with Hezbollah to do what

exactly cuz let's just talk about what's

been happening for the past six months

much less the past uh four decades which

is that we have seen October 7th okay

which was an act of War let's be clear

um let's dispel this narrative that

there's no evidence that the Islamic

Republic supported that it's been

reported over and again it was reported

in the Wall Street Journal

um Republic no let me finish I'm not

done what do you think that the Islamic

Republic is training sponsoring funding

its proxies for what do you think they

are funding its proxies for in in in in

Israel in um uh sorry in Gaza in in uh

Yemen in in Lebanon and all of that all

of that to strike Israel um on October

7th every single day since October 7th

firing Rockets into Israel and then when

there was a strike on irgc leaders

planning a meeting with Hezbollah to

further attack Israel you want to turn

around and say oh people were killed

guess who was killed the people that

were killed are the people when um the

Islamic Republic struck Israeli

embassies in different countries actual

civilians okay not military senior

personnel and guess who else would have

been killed if it wasn't for the Iron

Dome 300 Rockets you're talking about

hundreds and thousands of deaths so

you're relying on the fact that there

was an Iron Dome to protect the fact

like oh well nothing really happened a

lot happened and a lot would have

happened if Israel didn't have to invest

so much into protecting its civilians

and you can't rely on that as a defense

and not only that let's go back to talk

about when you talk about that that the

strike on solomani and you say oh well

nothing really happened they just did a

small retaliatory whatever that's not

the case they actually let's talk about

flight 752 when they shot down a plane

from tan going to Ukraine killing many

many many innocent people on that plane

because you know what the Islamic

Republic does it takes it out on its own

people that's what they do and that's

what they're doing right now they're CRA

cracking down on Iranian women in the

streets to show that they're the big bad

wolf because they know that they don't

want any smoke with Israel but they want

to remind you who they are and guess who

they're taking it out on on the Iranian

people and this is where we draw the

line we draw the line at this vocal

support for the Islamic Republic Being

Framed as they as the victim in this

story that they have been orchestrating

for decades orchestrating terrorism

Regional stability for decades you want

to talk about the houis that are

fighting for Freedom how dare you how

dare you not acknowledge what the

houthis are doing in Yemen do you do you

listen to yemenis and their voices and

what they have to say they are being

terrorized they are being starved they

are being killed a a a young Arabic

woman is on death row right now in Yemen

for criticizing the hoodis are you

speaking about their rights when you

talk about Yemen people fighting for

freedom in the Red Sea how are you going

to call Freedom takers Freedom Fighters

that's a good let me just jump in I want

to bring in the others because you've

raised some very interesting points

there Dave you were bristling at some of

it though what well look I just think we

have to have one standard here and this

is kind of the point I was getting to

with national sovereignty like let's if

we're going to talk about things let's

have one standard if our concern is over

what's been happening to the people in

Yemen as you said what the houthis are

doing to them do you know what's been

happen happening to the people of Yemen

over the last8 years has been the number

one humanitarian crisis in the world in

the war that Saudi Arabia launched on

them with full backing from the United

States of America both uh uh Obama and

Trump through every day of his

administration we were refueling their

fight their their fighter jets okay we

were very implicated in that war so okay

if you care about horrible things

happening to the people of Yemen then

you better be criticizing Saudi Arabia

and the United States of America this

war just ended over in in the last year

the eight years previous to that were

that's a

whataboutism let me tell I'm not

finished you said you weren't finished

no you said you weren't finished before

I'm not finished now what aboutism is a

word that people yell when you call them

out on their hypocracy I'm saying let's

have one standard abut not I can explain

to you why it's a whataboutism what what

are we teenagers what does this word

even mean I'm putting this into

historical so that you understand okay

or what aboutism deflect from the issue

that was presented the issue that I

presented to you okay it's a logical

fallacy what I presented to you was the

fact that the Yemen people do not

support the houthis and you you brought

up well what about the fact that they

don't support this and this I didn't

bring thatt the way I didn't know hold

on let's just be clear here no let me

explain so you understand I'm not saying

that let me finish my sentence okay go

ahead what I told you is that the yemeni

people have been vocal if you would

listen to their voices you don't listen

to their voices because they the radical

and extremist voices are the ones that

are propped up okay by the algorithm by

the media and the people on the ground

that are telling you they don't support

the the houthis

that's support resistance I'm not uh

certainly I I don't know exactly I'm

open to the idea that there are a lot of

people in Yemen who do not support the

houthis I'm not defending the way the

houthis treat their people I'm not

defending the way the Iranian government

treats their people what I'm saying is

that if we're going to not be Hypocrites

here and we're criticizing them because

we're concerned about how the people of

Yemen are treated where is this uh

criticism for the much bigger disaster

that's been caused in that country over

the last eight years and if you want to

talk in terms of how the people feel it

is as close to unanimous as you're going

to get across the Muslim world that they

are opposed to what Israel is doing to

God and the idea that they wouldn't want

the houis standing up to the isra hang

on some G hang on to say

what Iran has done here it's actually

achieved what many think was almost

impossible is it's made people gravitate

back to Israel right it has brought

people together with Israel because they

thought well actually look at this they

300 rockets launched from Iran uh

clearly presenting a massive threat to

the people of Israel right at the moment

when you're right Global support for

Israel was beginning to fade away pretty

quickly so I I would argue that what

what Iran has done here is a very

self-defeating thing if the desire was

to try and continue to isolate Israel

for what it's been doing in Gaza this is

the worst thing that Iran could have

done listen there there might be

something to that and I'm not saying

that this necessarily was a great

strategic decision um but I don't think

you're right about that I mean look the

when you say the United people or pushed

back toward Israel I think what you're

thinking about is the fact that all of

these countries that you just pointed

out all helped Israel defend themselves

but the truth is that it's not actually

that shocking that Jordan and Saudi

Arabia and look the Sunni Gulf States or

Jordan's not a Gulf State but these

Sunni States here they're American sock

puppets we we buy them off for billions

and billions of dollars and prop them up

they do but what the wider World sees

Dave they just see Israel coming under

attack from Iran and they see two major

Arab countries Jordan and Saudi Arabia

racing to support their defense at a

time when much of the Arab world is in

Rage about what has been happening in G

in terms of how Israel has executed its

attack on uh on Hamas in in response to

October the 7th so you know I I would

agree with you there's no doubt that

that support for Israel had been

dissipating fast but when I saw the

reaction to what happened here I was I

was struck by two two major Arab

countries going well we know this is

unpopular what's happening in Gaza but

this is something we're going to support

Israel but I think you might be

conflating the actions of governments

with popularity amongst the people I

mean I'm I'm open to evidence on this

but I do not see any real realignment

Happening Here look Israel has by the

way they've been conducting this war and

the brutality of it they have been

alienating more of the world than I've

ever seen them alienate in my lifetime

to the point where 50% of democratic

voters believe this is a genocide this

is a major problem for Joe Biden's

re-election campaign and this is just

however you feel about there's no doubt

that they have turned much of the world

away from them and I'm just not seeing

any evidence that roet shot down change

Democrat so pro Israel before October

7th well yeah but that's that's also a

part of an argument let me ask you much

more so the scenes that we've been

seeing in America in the last 48 hours

these concerted protests on major

Bridges around America right through New

York and Washington and so on what we've

been seeing people in Michigan chanting

death to America you know pramas slogans

being chanted and so on what do you make

of this I think it's absolutely hurting

one I think it's just obviously

disgusting to harm regular everyday

civilians the people that are on the

bridge just trying to get to work to the

airport their kids to doctor's

appointments they have nothing to do

with the war that's going on in the

Middle East they have no way to affect

it you're not going to change their mind

by making them miss a flight or anything

like that and I think it's really

hurting their cause that they're

inconveniencing people we've seen this

for months the Christmas tree lighting

the Thanksgiving Day Parade anything

that would bring joy to Americans it

seems like they want to protest to

disrupt it and that's not going to make

Americans more favorable and personally

I live in Manhattan and I've heard many

of I've seen many of the protests and

I've heard them chanting we want another

inata even claiming things like that

that's not getting anybody to support

you that is not helping you separate

yourselves from people you accuse of

committing a genocide which is a Li and

of itself I think that it's really

harming their cause and Americans at

least the people in New York are very

fed up with this stop making our lives

inconvenient you have a freedom to

protest you don't have a freedom to

block traffic and ruin people's lives

that are just trying to get on day okay

n you've been on a lot of these protests

hang on one second come to you but

Nadine you've been on these protests

including

yesterday when I hear people chanting

death to America in the heart of America

that sends a shutter down my spine I'm

not even American and we're seeing

similar things happening in the United

Kingdom um I believe passionately in

peaceful protest no doubt about that at

all but when I see what's been going on

with sections and there sections it's

not the whole uh protest crowds it's

unnerving to see this kind of hatred for

America from people living here

um well I'd just like to start off by

saying that the protests have still been

peaceful you know phrases and actions

that have been taken at the protest

haven't actually been violent they

haven't harmed anyone and I don't think

we should focus what do you think about

people chanting death to America as they

did in one video clip last I think that

that's just a phrase maybe said by an

individual well no the whole crowd began