Netanyahu says Iran will not get nuclear weapons, with or without a deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference Monday evening as a US-Iran agreement took shape. The article also noted that earlier in the evening, former prime minister and Yesh Atid? no, Yamina? party chairman Naftali Bennett held a live press conference on Kan 11, where he called the emerging deal a “historic failure” and blamed Netanyahu’s Iran policy for producing it.

Bennett said Netanyahu’s tenure began with a “civil war,” continued with the October 7 massacre, and is ending with a “historic failure” on Iran. He said the prime minister should have used the trust of “the most supportive president we ever had” purely for Israel’s interests, restored a security doctrine of fast, decisive wars, and advanced a universal draft while cutting funding for draft evasion.

תגובות also came from across the Israeli political system after news of the agreement surfaced the night before. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the understandings do not bind Israel, declaring, “We are an independent and sovereign country, and we are not subordinate to the United States.” In a harsh post on X, he added that “Trump’s agreement does not bind us,” and said Israel must keep defending its citizens and soldiers.

Finance Minister and Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich backed Netanyahu but urged continued pressure on Iran and in Lebanon. He said, “The agreement with Iran is bad for Israel and for the entire free world,” and argued the campaign has already weakened Iran. Smotrich said Israel will need to keep working, “in creative ways,” to help bring down the regime and ensure Iran never obtains nuclear weapons.