Jews will ‘stand alone’ if they must, says Israel PM Netanyahu
“But if we don’t protect ourselves, no one will protect us,” Netanyahu says the group at his office
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a resolute message to Holocaust survivors, emphasizing Jewish self-reliance while acknowledging the importance of international support.
“If we have to stand alone, we stand alone,” he told a delegation who will be torchbearers at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony next Sunday.
“If it is possible to recruit Gentiles, that’s good. But if we don’t protect ourselves, no one will protect us,” he told the group at his office.
Netanyahu’s words come as Israel faces mounting criticism over the war it is waging in Gaza against Palestinian militant group, including from its closest ally the United States.
Finding himself increasingly isolated internationally, Netanyahu has said repeatedly that nothing will stop Israeli troops from entering the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah to press home their mission to eliminate Hamas.
Washington has said repeatedly that it opposes any operation that does not provide protection for the 1.5 million civilians estimated to be sheltering in the city, a position reiterated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in talks with Netanyahu on Wednesday.
Israel’s offensive against the Palestinian resistance group has killed at least 34,596 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry.
Source: Newsroom
