Netanyahu Warns Iran of 'Mistake of Its Life' in Phone Interview
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran against attacking Israel, stating it would be "the mistake of its life," and asserted his government's preemptive security approach. In a phone interview days before elections, he also criticized Arab nations for desiring his defeat and questioned the capabilities of political rivals. Netanyahu urged high voter turnout, calling the election outcome uncertain, and dismissed explanations from the Shin Bet head regarding October 7th alerts as a "joke."
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Netanyahu warned Iran against attacking Israel, stating it would be "the mistake of its life."
- Netanyahu asserted that Arab nations desire his electoral defeat, believing it would be detrimental to Israel.
- He emphasized his security doctrine of preemptive action, stating, "Bad things must be stopped when they are small."
- Netanyahu questioned the ability of rivals like Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan to achieve the downfall of the Iranian regime.
- He dismissed Shin Bet head Ronen Bar's explanation for not alerting him on October 7th as a "joke."
- Netanyahu urged high voter turnout, warning the election outcome is uncertain and could be as close as 61 seats for either side.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a phone interview on Thursday that Arab nations desire his electoral defeat, believing it would be detrimental to Israel. Speaking on the program "Shva" to political commentator Noam Amir, just days before elections and amidst political and security tensions, Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Iran against any attack.
"If Iran makes a mistake and tries to attack us, it will simply make the mistake of its life," Netanyahu declared, adding that Israel has the option to act with allies like Donald Trump or independently. He emphasized his security doctrine of preemptive action, stating, "My approach is not to contain attacks, but to initiate and prevent. Bad things must be stopped when they are small. Do not test us, our enemies. You will receive a blow you never dreamed of."
Netanyahu also questioned the capability of his political rivals, specifically Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan, to achieve the downfall of the Iranian regime, contrasting them with his own government's perceived effectiveness. He also criticized Mansour Abbas's political platform regarding Arab autonomy in the Galilee and Negev. Regarding Syria, Netanyahu recounted a "difficult, very concise" conversation with Al-Julani, where he made clear Israel's opposition to the killing of Druze citizens.
Addressing the upcoming elections, Netanyahu urged voters to participate, warning that the outcome is uncertain and could be as close as 61 seats for either side. He sharply criticized Gadi Eisenkot's pledge to dismantle Hamas if elected, calling it an empty promise. Netanyahu also dismissed claims by individuals presenting themselves as right-wing, citing a statement from "Winter" suggesting a Netanyahu-Eisenkot swap, which he likened to "Bibi 2" (referring to a previous political alliance).
In response to Shin Bet head Ronen Bar's explanation for not alerting the Prime Minister on October 7th due to not having his number, Netanyahu called it a "joke," asserting that security personnel accompanying the Prime Minister would have had a direct line. He suggested Bar believed the events were a drill and did not want to worry him, a sentiment Netanyahu acknowledged was partially correct regarding his own perception of a potential drill.
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