Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is committed to eliminating Hamas and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in a speech to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Addressing the gathering in Jerusalem, Netanyahu called his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump “the most consequential” between an Israeli leader and an American president. “We are reshaping the Middle East,” he said, crediting Israel’s military actions for turning the tide against its adversaries. “We decimated much of Hamas,” Netanyahu stated. “We haven’t finished the job yet, but we will. Israel will destroy Hamas as a military force.” He also highlighted Israel’s operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying that the group had lost many senior commanders. “We knocked out many of their senior military commanders, leaving a new reality in Lebanon,” he said. “We took out their senior commanders, and Iran’s attempts to intervene were thwarted by us.” Netanyahu stressed the importance of Israel’s alliance with the United States in achieving regional security. “We have the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” he said. “We see eye to eye with the US administration on the main tasks we must accomplish: the release of all our hostages, the destruction of Hamas, and ensuring that Gaza has a different future.” He criticized Hamas for restricting the movement of civilians in Gaza, arguing that those who wish to leave should be allowed to do so. “This is not ethnic cleansing; it’s about giving people agency over their own lives,” Netanyahu said. Turning to the threat posed by Iran, Netanyahu warned of its nuclear ambitions. “Iran must choose whether it wants to be a country or a cause,” he said, quoting former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. “It has chosen to be a cause—and a destructive one.” Netanyahu accused Iran of funding regional terrorist groups at the expense of its own people. “The Iranian regime oppresses its own people, neglecting basic needs like water infrastructure while funneling tens of billions of dollars into Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Syria,” he said. He also took aim at international institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), calling them biased against Israel. “The ICC threatens not just Israel, but every democracy,” he said. “If an unelected international body can prosecute soldiers for defending their country, then the right to self-defense is being dismantled.” The Prime Minister concluded by reaffirming Israel’s resilience and the strength of the US-Israel alliance. “Our strength is rooted in our partnership, our heritage, and our faith in the future,” he said. “Together, I believe even greater achievements are still ahead.”
