Benjamin Netanyahu vowed at a cabinet meeting that Israel will make its own decisions and do whatever is necessary to protect itself, even if it contradicts the advice given by its allies, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Tel Aviv: Days after the missile attacks by Iran, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country will decide how to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack as world leaders called for restraint to avoid escalation. In the meantime, the Israeli military has vowed to respond to Iran’s missile and drone weekend attack.
On the other hand, the White House and Brussels have also pledged to ramp up sanctions against Iran, while British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock became the first Western envoys to visit Israel after the attack.
Benjamin Netanyahu vowed at a cabinet meeting that Israel will make its own decisions and do whatever is necessary to protect itself, even if it contradicts the advice given by its allies, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Netanyahu made the remark at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday after meeting with the foreign ministers of the UK and Germany. Earlier in the day, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Israel after Tehran’s attack on the country, on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, launching around 350 drone and missile strikes.
Germany and the UK have called on Israel to exercise restraint after its attack, warning that any additional direct hostilities with Iran could result in all-out war in the Middle East, according to The Times of Israel. However, Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran, saying that it cannot be allowed to attack without facing repercussions.
In his remarks at the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that the two leaders had “all kinds of suggestions and advice.” He noted that while it was appreciated, Israel would nevertheless “make our own decisions, and Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.”
Speaking to reporters in Israel, David Cameron said that it was clear there would be retaliation against Israel. However, he expressed hope that it is carried out in a “way that is smart as well as tough and also does as little as possible to escalate this conflict.”
Meanwhile, Annalena Baerbock expressed her opposition to Israel’s plan to retaliate against Iran. However, she added that Germany remains in full solidarity with Israel, as The Times of Israel reported.
Baerbock said, “Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah or the Houthis, must not be allowed to add fuel to the fire,” adding that there would be consequences to Iran’s strike as the European Union was working on imposing further sanctions against Tehran, according to The Times of Israel report.