Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirms Israel’s absolute independence in security and defense, rejecting claims of U.S. control and vowing that Israel alone decides when and how to strike its enemies.
At the opening of Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered one of his most forceful declarations yet of Israel’s military and political independence, dismissing rumors of American interference in Israel’s decision-making.
“Over the past month, we’ve heard absurd claims about our relationship with the United States,” Netanyahu said. “When I was in Washington, people said I control the American administration. Now others claim the administration controls me. Both are nonsense.”
Netanyahu emphasized that Israel and the United States are partners — not masters and servants. “Israel is an independent nation, the United States is an independent nation,” he stated firmly. “Our partnership is stronger than ever, and it was demonstrated clearly in Operation Rising Lion, in the joint efforts that freed all the living hostages from Gaza, and in our shared mission to reshape the Middle East for peace and security.”
Turning to Israel’s recent military actions, Netanyahu made his government’s red lines unmistakably clear:
“Our security policy is in our own hands. We do not tolerate attacks against us. We respond with full force — on our own judgment, not on anyone’s orders.”
Referencing last week’s IDF air campaign, Netanyahu detailed how Israel “dropped 150 tons of firepower on Hamas and its terrorist infrastructure” following the killing of two IDF soldiers. He also revealed that Israeli forces had preemptively neutralized emerging threats in Gaza, proving once again Israel’s policy of acting first, decisively, and without hesitation.
The Prime Minister underscored that Israel’s defense decisions require no international consent:
“We seek no one’s approval. We are in control of our own security. We alone decide who can operate in our region, and which foreign forces are unacceptable — and this, too, is fully understood by our American allies.”
In a final, resounding declaration of sovereignty, Netanyahu concluded:
“Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves with our own forces — and we will continue to control our own destiny.”
Analysts note that the Prime Minister’s remarks were both a message to Israel’s critics and a reassurance to the public that no external power dictates Israel’s defense — not even its closest ally.
In an era of shifting alliances and fragile ceasefires, Netanyahu’s words reaffirm a timeless truth of Israeli policy: Only the people of Israel decide how Israel defends itself.
