Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a ceremony Wednesday that state diplomatic needs would require him to leave before the ceremony's end, according to Amit Segal (N12). Netanyahu stated that Israel is in the midst of military and diplomatic events, called Trump 'our greatest friend,' but stressed that Israel's existence is not subject to negotiation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu elaborated on his earlier remarks at the ceremony this afternoon, according to a report by Amit Segal (N12). Netanyahu stated that his early departure is necessitated by "state diplomatic needs" (צורכי השעה המדיניים). The full quote, as reported by Segal, includes: "We are in the midst of military and diplomatic events. Trump is our greatest friend, but I want to make clear — Israel's existence is not subject to negotiation." This development follows a sequence of reports from the ceremony.
The Zioneer first reported at 17:36 Jerusalem that Netanyahu would leave the ceremony early due to a security schedule. Minutes later, at 17:39, the desk published a series of updates capturing his remarks: he called for national unity, acknowledged the election period, and stressed that Israel's existence is not subject to negotiation. The source evolved from a general report to an on-record attribution to N12's Amit Segal. The latest update at 17:52 provided the full quote, confirming the earlier summaries.
The remarks come amid a broader strategic context. As The Zioneer has reported, Netanyahu has consistently maintained that Israel is not bound by the U.S.-Iran nuclear framework, stating on June 11 that Israel is "not a party" to the memorandum of understanding while praising Trump's commitment to countering Iran's nuclear ambitions. Relations between the two leaders have shown visible strain, with Trump publicly demanding gratitude in a June 15 New York Times interview, and later calling Netanyahu a "fighter" on June 20 while sharing doubts about his re-election prospects.
It remains unclear what specific "military and diplomatic events" Netanyahu referenced, and whether the early departure is directly linked to ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations or other developments. The security schedule has not been publicly detailed.
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