Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at the opening of a cabinet meeting that Iran has not attacked Israel because it knows Israel would deliver a massive blow in response. He reiterated that Iran will not get nuclear weapons under his watch, ruled out a Palestinian state in Gaza or Judea and Samaria, and stated the IDF will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, including all weapons. Netanyahu also noted recent operations in Lebanon, including the killing of terrorists on the Ali Taher ridge, and said Israel is discussing the disarmament issue with the US.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, stated that Iran has refrained from attacking Israel directly because it knows Israel would deliver a 'massive blow' in response. This assertion adds a new dimension to the Prime Minister's earlier statements from the same meeting, which had already addressed Iran's nuclear ambitions, Palestinian statehood, and the disarmament of Hamas.
Earlier Sunday, at 14:00 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Netanyahu reiterated that Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons under his leadership, with or without a deal, and that no Palestinian state will be established in Gaza or Judea and Samaria. The Prime Minister also rejected the 15-point plan and clarified that the IDF will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, including all weapons from heavy to light. He also noted recent operations in Lebanon, including the elimination of terrorists on the Ali Taher ridge. The initial reports from the same time have been corroborated by subsequent statements from the Prime Minister's office, with the new detail on Iran's calculus now emerging.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, Netanyahu has consistently framed the struggle against Iran's nuclear ambitions as a central mission. In a press conference on June 15, he declared that 'Iran will not have nuclear weapons' and that Israel had removed the 'immediate danger of annihilation.' The Prime Minister has also repeatedly affirmed that the IDF will maintain its presence in Lebanon until the threat is fully neutralized, as reported on June 23 and June 30. The current statement adds a specific claim of deterrence regarding a direct Iranian attack.
The Prime Minister's statement on Iran's deterrence is a declarative claim that could not be independently verified. The actual status of Iran's military calculus remains opaque, and the claim is based on Netanyahu's assessment. Additionally, the diplomatic discussions with the United States regarding the disarmament plan and the 15-point document remain ongoing, with Netanyahu stating that US ideas are 'partly acceptable and partly not.'
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