Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a fiery speech at the Knesset (Israeli parliament) on Monday, defended his handling of the country’s affairs, asserting that despite a wave of anti-semitism against the Jewish state, it enjoys an unprecedented support from many countries and leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking during a so-called ‘40-signature debate’, a parliamentary mechanism that allows the opposition to compel the Prime Minister to appear once a month at the Knesset forum, Netanyahu put up a strong defence of his government’s policy on various fronts, including Israel’s foreign relations.
“Israel is today stronger than ever,” he said.
The Israeli Premier hit back at what the opposition described as “the collapse of Israel’s international standing,” arguing that Israel remained diplomatically, militarily, and economically dominant despite its two years at war with Hamas, highlighting his ties to global leaders.
Sitting through a series of scathing criticisms from opposition members, Netanyahu opened his speech by mocking the subject of the debate, calling the assertion that Israel’s global standing has collapsed over the war “a detachment from reality,” and insisting that “Israel today is stronger than ever.” “It is the strongest power in the Middle East, and in certain fields, it is a global power,” Netanyahu stressed, claiming that “this is a direct result of the way we have led the War of Revival”. The Israeli government decided to name the war that started with the attack of Hamas on its territory on October 7, 2023, as the ‘War of Revival’ in
October, a decision that many in Israel contest.
“Many states around the world and very many world leaders are seeking us out,” Netanyahu said before acknowledging that “there are challenges” as well.