Benjamin Netanyahu has resolutely stood by his vow that Israel “will stand alone” as a row continues to erupt with the US and Joe Biden over the supply of weapons.
Earlier this week, the US president threatened to block some weapons shipments to Israel if a full-scale ground operation is launched into the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu responded by reposting a previous speech where he stated: “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.”
“In the War of Independence 76 years ago, we were few against many”, Netanyahu added on Thursday, the eve of Independence Day. “We had no weapons, there was an arms embargo on Israel, but with the greatness of spirit, bravery and unity among us – we won.”
The Israeli leader also spoke to American talk show host Dr Phil about the situation, saying: “I’ve known Joe Biden for many years, 40 years and more. We often had our agreements, but we’ve had our disagreements. We’ve been able to overcome them. I hope we can overcome them now.”
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The remarks from Biden, made during an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, sparked reactions from various Israeli figures.
He said: “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.” The president would still continue to provide defensive weapons.
Despite mounting pressure to reconsider its military tactics, Israel has continued its operations in Gaza, including ground incursions near the city of Rafah. The situation has escalated tensions and raised concerns about the humanitarian crisis in the region.
The Biden administration’s stance is a departure from previous support for Israel and reflects growing international scrutiny of Israeli military actions. Across US college campuses, students have protested against Israel’s actions and called for accountability from national powers.
The announcement has sparked internal divisions within Israel, with politicians expressing divergent views on how to address the situation.
“I turn to Israel’s enemies as well as to our best of friends and say – the State of Israel cannot be subdued, not the IDF, not the defense establishment, and not the State of Israel”, Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said. “We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals – we will hit Hamas, we will hit Hezbollah, and we will achieve security.”
Miki Zohar, a minister from Netanyahu’s Likud party, expressed his surprise “to discover that the world has forgotten what happened in Israel on October 7”.
“We will not compromise our security, and we will never agree to submit to any demands that harm Israel’s national security,” he wrote on X.
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