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Netanyahu: We have ‘overwhelming power of arms and spirit’ to repel Iran

Netanyahu warned of Iran’s aggression but also said that Israel had the strength to deal with the challenge.

By World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the occasion of a state ceremony commemorating the fallen of the Yom Kippur War to warn of Iran’s aggression, adding, “We have the overwhelming power of arms and spirit to repel any Iranian threat.”

Netanyahu, speaking on the 46th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, said, “The focus of the current aggression in the Middle East is the Iranian regime.”

“Iran threatens to wipe us off the map and says it explicitly: ‘Israel will disappear.’ Time and time again, it threatens us and tries to attack us, so we must stand ready to defend ourselves in the face of danger,” he said.

“We don’t aspire to be ‘a nation that dwells alone.’ But we were forced to do so at the start of the Yom Kippur War – only near the end did American aid arrive. As in 1973, also today we appreciate the important support of the U.S., which has even strengthened in recent years, as well as the tremendous economic pressure the United States is exerting on Iran.”

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“And yet, we remember and apply the basic rule that guides us – Israel will defend itself, on its own, in the face of every threat. We have the overwhelming power of arms and spirit to repel any Iranian threat,” he said.

President Reuven Rivlin also spoke at the ceremony. After referring to the German synagogue shooting, he confined his remarks to the Yom Kippur War, in which Israel was surprised by Egypt and Syria.

“We must learn from history. We must never be surprised again like that. Even if the nature of the wars has changed, the lesson of the Yom Kippur War is that we must always be critical in our thinking, always question every premise, look at reality straight on and bravely, and make sure that we are not bound by misconceptions whose price is paid in blood.”

“We must be alert, not to succumb to complacency. To look out for warning signs, to be aware of the gathering dangers and to be ready to move quickly… To be prepared for any scenario…. to ensure the safety and security of the State of Israel.”