Netanyahu rejects claims Israel’s global standing has collapsed, calling Israel “stronger than ever.”
Highlights close ties with Modi, Trump, Putin and Merz to defend foreign policy during Gaza war.
Opposition slams him for mishandling the war and resisting an independent inquiry into Oct 7.
In a heated speech at the Knesset (Israeli parliament) on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his leadership of the nation's affairs, claiming that despite a surge of anti-Semitism against the Jewish state, it enjoys unprecedented support from numerous nations and leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at a "40-signature debate," a legislative procedure that enables the opposition to force the prime minister to attend the Knesset forum once a month, Netanyahu vigorously defended the policies of his government on a number of fronts, including Israel's foreign policy.
"Israel is today stronger than ever," he said.
The Israeli Premier hit back at what the opposition described as “the collapse of Israel’s international standing,” arguing that Israel remained diplomatically, militarily, and economically dominant despite its two years at war with Hamas, highlighting his ties to global leaders.
Sitting through a series of scathing criticisms from opposition members, Netanyahu opened his speech by mocking the subject of the debate, calling the assertion that Israel’s global standing has collapsed over the war “a detachment from reality,” and insisting that “Israel today is stronger than ever.” “It is the strongest power in the Middle East, and in certain fields, it is a global power,” Netanyahu stressed, claiming that “this is a direct result of the way we have led the War of Revival”.
The Israeli government decided to name the war that started with the attack of Hamas on its territory on October 7, 2023, as the 'War of Revival' in October, a decision that many in Israel contest.
“Many states around the world and very many world leaders are seeking us out,” Netanyahu said before acknowledging that “there are challenges” as well.
He blamed the "waves of antisemitism" sweeping the West as a result of two things: radical Muslim minorities that have entered almost every country, first and foremost in Europe, and antisemitic incitement on social media, "incitement amplified by anti-Zionist governments and organisations”.
“We are fighting this antisemitism around the world,” he continued, noting that his government has made an unprecedented allocation of some NIS 2.35 billion (USD 725 million) to the Foreign Ministry “to combat this propaganda”.
“I believe we must fight it with new methods,” Netanyahu said, while insisting that “we must look at our tremendous achievements”.
Despite this, Netanyahu argued that Israel’s diplomatic standing remained significant, pointing to the visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz this week, a visit he said came at Merz’s request.
"And there are other world powers that are coming our way: I speak frequently with my old friend, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. We have arranged to meet soon, and I must tell you - India, a huge country with a billion and a half people, also wants to strengthen ties with us", Netanyahu emphasised.
"Germany, India, and here is another sign of your imagined political collapse: at the end of the month, I will go to the United States for another meeting with my friend, President Trump", he said mockingly.
"This will be my sixth meeting with the President of the United States, since he took office in January of this year - more than any other leader in the world", the Israeli Premier pointed out.
Israeli media has been speculating a "political clash" between Netanyahu and Trump, citing "huge differences" that Netanyahu rubbished as a 'fixed ritual" before he met with the US President.
"And after each meeting, you are disappointed, because the positive results surprise you again and again. And again, of course, with the US, we don't have to agree on everything", Netanyahu said.
"And even in cases where it's necessary, I stand up for our vital interests. It's not always necessary, but when it's necessary, we stand up for them. The US and Israel are two independent countries. We have a relationship based on shared values and shared interests that have only become more acute", he stressed.
"Israel has no better ally than the US, and the US has no better ally than Israel", the Israeli Premier asserted.
During his election campaigns, Netanyahu has frequently boasted of his "personal chemistry" with world leaders; during one such campaign, pictures of his meetings with Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Modi were displayed throughout the offices of the ruling party Likud.
He is frequently portrayed by his admirers as the sole Israeli political figure with international recognition and the capacity to oppose US presidents to defend Israeli interests.
They frequently allude to his chilly relationships with previous US Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, with whom he frequently disagreed on a number of issues.
During his speech, Netanyahu also stressed his tight relationship with Putin.
"I add that we have continuous contacts with another world power - Russia. I speak with President Putin regularly, and this personal relationship over the decades protects our vital interests," he said.
"Well, the US, India, Germany, Russia – four powers whose ties have only strengthened following the war. And it’s not just the great powers that are coming to us: many other countries want to be close to us – also in the Middle East, also in the Far East, also in Latin America, where a very big change is taking place, and also in Africa", Netanyahu stressed to defend Israel's foreign policy and global standing during the two years of war in Gaza.
The opposition has been calling for Netanyahu's resignation, criticising his management of the war, refusing to take accountability for Israel's inability to stop Hamas' attack, dividing society, undermining the judiciary, and preventing the creation of an independent state commission of inquiry.
Instead of creating the state commission of inquiry, which is customarily established to look into major tragedies, the government decided last month to launch its own investigation into the shortcomings surrounding the Hamas invasion and slaughter on October 7, 2023.
