Netanyahu: "I Don't Know Today Will Bring; I Have Warned the Regime"
In a rare 6-minute Knesset speech, PM Netanyahu warned Iran of a "force they cannot imagine" if they attack Israel. Citing "complex and challenging days" where no one knows what will happen, the PM abruptly cut his address short to attend to security matters.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an unusually brief and urgent address to the Knesset plenum on Monday afternoon, warning of "complex and challenging days" ahead as regional tensions with Iran reach a critical peak.
The Prime Minister had been summoned to the plenum for a "40-signature" debate, session typically used for lengthy political sparring with the opposition. However, in a departure from his usual style, Netanyahu focused strictly on the escalating international crisis, cutting his speech short after only six minutes before abruptly departing for undisclosed reasons.
During his remarks, Netanyahu emphasized that he has directly cautioned the Iranian leadership against any move toward escalation, "I have made it clear to the Ayatollah regime that if they make the gravest mistake in their history and attack the State of Israel, we will respond with a force they cannot even imagine."
He added that the current situation is highly unpredictable: "We are in very complex days. No one knows what the day will bring. We are operating with an open eye and are prepared for any scenario."
The Prime Minister concluded his shortened address with a plea for domestic solidarity, urging the public to set aside political divisions in the face of the looming threat.
"We must close ranks as a nation and stand shoulder to shoulder," Netanyahu stated. "I am confident in our strength; I trust our commanders and our fighters, both men and women."
The brevity of the speech and the Prime Minister’s rapid exit from the plenum have fueled further speculation in the halls of the Knesset regarding the immediacy of the "regional developments" cited in earlier reports today.