Netanyahu touts his strong connect with world leaders, including PM Modi, as he defends his leadership during Gaza war

Jerusalem, Dec 9 (PTI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a fiery speech at the Knesset (Israeli parliament) on Monday, defended his handling of the country's affairs, asserting that despite a wave of anti-semitism against the Jewish state, it enjoys an unprecedented support from many countries and leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking during a so-called '40-signature debate', a parliamentary mechanism that allows the opposition to compel the Prime Minister to appear once a month at the Knesset forum, Netanyahu put up a strong defence of his government's policy on various fronts, including Israel’s foreign relations.

"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 his meetings 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.

Netanyahu has long touted his "personal chemistry" with global leaders during his election campaigns, with images of his meetings with Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Modi, splashed across the ruling party Likud's headquarters during one such campaign.

His supporters often portray him as the only Israeli political leader with a global standing and also the ability to challenge US presidents in order to protect Israeli interests.

They often refer to his frosty ties with former US Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, with whom he had frequent differences over several issues.

Netanyahu also emphasised his close ties with Putin during his address.

"I add that we have continuous contacts with another world power - Russia. I speak with President Putin on a regular basis, 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 demanding Netanyahu's resignation, criticising his handling of the war, defiance at not accepting responsibility for Israel's failure to prevent Hamas' attack, creating divisions in the society, weakening the Judiciary and also not allowing the establishment of an independent state commission of enquiry.

The government decided last month to establish its own probe into the failures surrounding the Hamas invasion and massacre on October 7, 2023, rather than setting up the state commission of inquiry that is traditionally formed to investigate significant disasters.

“The establishment of the commission and its makeup will be done equally between the coalition and the opposition,” Netanyahu said during his address.

“Who could oppose this? Only someone who does not want to reveal the truth”, he added. PTI HM AMS