In an extensive interview with journalist Gadi Taub, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed the rationale behind the strategic decisions during the recent war, noting historical changes in the Middle East and addressing security and diplomatic challenges. The interview dealt with a range of topics, from the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, through relations with the United States, to the resilience of Israeli society. Netanyahu began by describing the geopolitical changes in the region, emphasizing that "the war changed the face of the Middle East." He recalled the 'Iron Wall' principle of Jabotinsky, according to which "the State of Israel must prove it is a fait accompli that cannot be eliminated." Normalization with Arab countries, such as the Abraham Accords, established Israel's standing, but the central threat remains Iran, which aims for "domination over the Middle East through proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas." "Iran has created a land corridor from Iran to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, with the aim of establishing a stranglehold around Israel," he explained. "They operate systematically, with an extreme ideology aimed at exporting the Islamic revolution. The struggle against them is an existential struggle." Regarding the war in Gaza, Netanyahu described the strategic decision to focus on the south while maintaining active defense in the north, "On the second day of fighting, we realized we had to eliminate Hamas. Some argued that we should open a front against Hezbollah as well, but I thought that was a mistake. We had to concentrate our efforts in the south." Related articles: Netanyahu tasks Mossad with finding homes for Gazans 'Hamas engineered the protests in the Gaza Strip' UAE President discusses Gaza ceasefire with Trump US makes 'final offer' to Egypt to accept Gazans Netanyahu detailed the pressures Israel faced, especially from the United States, "Biden explicitly told me – if you enter Rafah, we will stop your aid. I replied, we will fight even with our nails if we need to. We stood up to the pressures and decided to enter. Sinwar was sure we would capitulate. We returned to fight and dealt him a heavy blow." Netanyahu highlighted the IDF's success in reducing civilian casualties, "When we entered Rafah, the division commander reported that we had killed over 1,200 militants, while civilian casualties were close to zero. Hamas tried to prevent them from fleeing, but the population understood there was no choice." The Prime Minister praised the spirit of the soldiers and Israeli society, "We discovered extraordinary bravery. A soldier who lost a leg said, 'I want to return to the front line.' This is the essence of our spirit. There is a minority with financial support from abroad that emphasizes personal pain, but most of the people understand that if we don't fight – we will not survive." Netanyahu described the campaign against Hezbollah: "We understood that we must crush them. We deployed suicide drones that hit infrastructure. Later, we destroyed their missile depots and eliminated Nasrallah. Hezbollah was Assad's backbone. Without it, the Syrian army collapsed within days." On the confrontation with Iran, he said, "We must prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons. We fought them in the past and will continue to do everything to stop them. They understand we are ready for confrontation." Regarding the hostages, Netanyahu expressed commitment to bring everyone back but highlighted the complexity, "Sinwar believed that pressure on Israel would force us to stop fighting. Only when we advanced to Rafah did he begin to cooperate. Some demanded to stop fighting, but I knew that if we stop Hamas will survive. The combination of military and diplomatic pressure is what brings results." Netanyahu addressed the plans for the day after, "After the elimination of Hamas, we will allow Palestinians in the Strip to leave voluntarily, under Israeli control. Surveys show many are interested in that. The goal is a stable future, with security for Israel and growth for the region." He noted the importance of President Trump's support, "He understood the need for military and diplomatic pressure. This is a different orchestra than the previous administration." On Israel-Turkey relations, he said, "Erdogan seeks to revive the Ottoman Empire. We will need to examine the relationship carefully." "The people and the army proved remarkable strength. We changed the Middle East – from a weaker Iran to Arab states that understand Israel is a fact of life. We will continue to fight to ensure Israel's security for generations."
