Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Photo: Reuven Kapuscinski.

Moshe Ya’alon

Defense Minister of Israel

As Israel’s minister of defense, Moshe Ya’alon is in effect responsible for protecting half of the world’s Jews. His military acumen continually wins the Israeli public’s confidence.

In 2015, he spoke out strongly against the nuclear deal with Iran, telling the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that “at the bottom line, we are headed toward a bad deal, after which we will continue to be ready to defend ourselves, by ourselves.”

He has also said, “We cannot, under any circumstances, live with an Iran with nuclear weapons, really, the matter is very simple. One way or another we have to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. We prefer this to be done through the path of an agreement or sanctions, but in the end, Israel must be able to defend itself.”

Ya’alon also publicly acknowledged in 2015 that Israelis have quiet channels of communication with neighboring Sunni Arab countries, not just Jordan and Egypt, but the Gulf states and across North Africa as well.