Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett stated that Israel must do everything in its power to dismantle the Iranian regime and prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons in an interview with Sky News on Thursday.
In the interview, Bennett emphasized that while he distinguishes between the Iranian people and their regime, "everything should be on the table" regarding actions Israel might take.
Bennett acknowledged that Israel might not have the strength to take down the entire regime but asserted that Israel certainly could strike and cause significant damage.
He pointed out that never before has a nation been attacked by so many missiles as Israel was recently.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is not a regular regime; it's a regime of terror," he said. "We should not take anything off the table, including targeting their leader.”
When asked what he would advise in the recent cabinet meeting, Bennett recommended striking Iran's nuclear facilities and sending more rockets, saying that Iran is at its most advanced stage in history regarding nuclear development.
"They have enough uranium for 10 nuclear bombs. Israel should not be afraid to strike back," he urged.
In response to suggestions that Israel should respond proportionally to Iranian attacks, mirroring what Israel has faced, Bennett rejected the idea. He stated that if Israel responded "proportionally," it would involve horrible actions that Israel would not commit.
Instead, he emphasized the need to focus on eliminating Iran's nuclear program and targeting its regime.
Response to war in Gaza and Hezbollah
Addressing the reported death toll in Gaza and international criticism over how Israel has handled the conflict, Bennett firmly placed the responsibility for civilian deaths on Hamas.
"They don’t care about their own people and have repeatedly used civilians as human shields," he explained.
"Hamas is the murderer, not Israel. Israel is fighting a war on behalf of the world against the most fanatical jihadist ideology on Earth. We are fighting Iran on behalf of the world. If Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, Europe will be under threat. The world should be praising Israel, not criticizing it."
Regarding Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah leaders and the resulting deaths and displacement in Lebanon, Bennett recalled that on October 7, Israel was attacked, with Hamas terrorists killing over 1,200 innocent people and kidnapping 250 others, including women and children.
He noted that Hezbollah has openly supported the actions of Hamas. "The world should be asking why they’re doing this, not criticizing Israel. If we let them get away with it, they’ll do the same in the UK, New York, and Paris. Israel is fighting your war," he stated.
When asked how he believes Israel should respond to the Iranian missile attacks, Bennett reiterated that Israel should strike Iran's nuclear program and regime centers. "The ultimate strategy, which I believe the world should adopt, is to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon," he said.
He emphasized that the world should focus on two efforts: accelerating the toppling of Iran's regime while simultaneously slowing down its nuclear weapons development.