
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday morning visited the Northern Command, together with IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi.
IDF Northern Command Commander Major-General Amir Baram and Operational Department chief Major-General Oded Bisouk briefed Bennett about the situation on the northern front. He was also informed of the IDF's readiness on that front, and the security situation in Lebanon and Syria.
During his visit, Bennett said: "Immediately following the Iranian attack on the ship, we shared our intelligence with our friends in the US, in Britain, and in other places. No one has any doubt who is behind the incident, but we also provided solid proofs, just in case."
"On the issue of the ship, and on the Iranian issue in general, we are working to enlist the world, but at the same time, we also know to act alone. Iran already knows the price that we charge, when someone threatens our security. The Iranians need to understand that they cannot sit in tranquility in Tehran, while they set the entire Middle East ablaze from where they sit. That's over."
He added: "The significant increase to the defense budget, to the IDF's budget, which we passed just this week, reflects this. When dealing with Iran, speeches are not enough - we need a strong IDF, and for that, we need to invest a lot of resources, and that's what we are doing."
Kobi Gideon, GPO
Bennett also noted that the European Union plans to send a representative to the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's incoming President Ebrahim Raisi.
"Raisi is the most extreme Iranian president so far, and the competition is tough. I call from here to the European Union: We cannot speak about human rights, while at the same time honoring a murderer, hangman, who eliminated hundreds of opponents of the regime."