“They chant ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel,’” Netanyahu said. “Israel is just the small Satan. The United States is the great Satan.”
By United with Israel Staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a dual Hebrew and English address to emphasize close coordination between Israel and the United States in the ongoing war with Iran, while forcefully rejecting growing claims that Israel pushed Washington into the conflict.
Speaking to both Israeli citizens and the foreign press, Netanyahu framed the campaign as a joint effort led in partnership with President Donald Trump, describing unprecedented military and intelligence cooperation between the two allies.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, America and Israel are acting together in Iran with great determination and unprecedented strength,” Netanyahu said, presenting the operation as a coordinated response to what he described as a shared threat.
He outlined three central goals of the campaign: dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, eliminating its ballistic missile capabilities, and creating conditions that could allow the Iranian people to determine their future.
Netanyahu argued that both countries are acting not only in their own defense, but on behalf of broader regional and global security, citing Iranian attacks and proxy activity across the Middle East and beyond.
“We’re not only protecting Israel and America,” he said. “We are protecting the entire Middle East, and I would say the entire world.”
A central theme of Netanyahu’s remarks was a direct rebuttal of criticism emerging in the United States suggesting that Israel had drawn Washington into the war for its own interests.
“I want to address another piece of fake news,” Netanyahu said. “That Israel somehow dragged the United States into a conflict with Iran.”
He dismissed the claim outright, pointing to Trump’s long-standing position on Iran and his independent decision-making.
“Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?” Netanyahu said. “President Trump always makes his decisions based on what he thinks is good for America.”
Netanyahu stressed that the alignment between the two countries is based on shared strategic interests, not pressure or coercion, and described his relationship with Trump as exceptionally close.
“The cooperation between us is unprecedented,” he said, adding that joint military and intelligence coordination has allowed both countries to achieve rapid results.
He pointed to recent strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, missile production capabilities, and command structures, as well as operations targeting naval assets, as evidence of what he described as growing momentum in the campaign.
At the same time, Netanyahu warned that the threat posed by Iran extends far beyond Israel, arguing that its leadership has long targeted both the United States and Western countries.
“They chant ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel,’” he said. “Israel is just the small Satan. The United States is the great Satan.”
He urged observers to consider the implications of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, describing it as a danger not only to Israel, but to cities and populations around the world.
Despite the scale of the campaign, Netanyahu acknowledged the burden on Israeli civilians, praising their resilience under continued missile attacks and disruptions to daily life.
He said the government is working to gradually reopen schools and the economy while continuing military operations, and emphasized that public adherence to Home Front Command instructions is enabling the campaign to continue.
Closing his Hebrew remarks, Netanyahu invoked a biblical verse as a message of resolve and encouragement.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, for this is what the Lord will do to all your enemies,” he said, quoting Joshua.
He added that the duration of the conflict will depend on what is required to achieve its objectives, urging Israelis to remain steadfast.
“It will take as long as necessary,” Netanyahu said. “Stand strong, and together we will prevail.”
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