Netanyahu Claims He Saved Israel From Destruction, Vows Further Action

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at a Likud party event in Tel Aviv that he had saved Israel from annihilation, stating, "It's either left or right. Do you want to fight or surrender? That's what the elections are about, there is no center, it's a bluff!". He asserted that his government had changed the face of the Middle East and would continue to do so.

Netanyahu referenced the elimination of figures like Hassan Nasrallah, Ali Khamenei, and Ismail Haniyeh, asking rhetorically where they were now. He specifically mentioned the explosion of pagers two years prior, implying it was a significant act of defiance that Hezbollah would remember. He claimed his government did what no one else dared to do, saving the state of Israel from destruction when it was nearly lost.

The Prime Minister's remarks were made during a "Hakafot Shniyot" (second hakafot) event, a traditional post-Passover gathering, held at the Expo Tel Aviv convention center. The event was a celebration for the Likud party faithful.