Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised on Sunday at a meeting of the Security Cabinet to allocate funds in next year's state budget for securing the border with Jordan, through which Iran smuggles a significant number of weapons to terrorists in the West Bank.
“Iran is also operating on the eastern front to smuggle arms to terrorists in the West Bank,” Netanyahu said at the cabinet meeting. “We intend to strengthen our capabilities in this area and take various additional actions — alongside constructing a barrier to prevent the smuggling of weapons. This will be addressed immediately in the 2025 budget.”
Talking about the Iranian threat, Netanyahu added: “We’re engaged in a fight against the Axis of Evil led by Iran. Our top commitment is to do everything to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“I've been discussing the Iranian threat for over 20 years, and it’s good that most of us understand these positions today. If we hadn't acted over the years, Iran would have already acquired nuclear weapons by now. We’re also dealing with Iran's proxies, through which it seeks to strangle us in a chokehold."
"For many years, critics accused me of raising the Iranian threat issue merely to avoid what they called 'the real solution to all the Middle East's problems' — the establishment of a Palestinian state, which would only become another Iranian terror base in the heart of our country,” Netanyahu said.
Earlier, in a recorded statement at the beginning of the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu addressed the shooting attack at the Allenby Bridge crossing, in which three Israelis were murdered, saying, "An abhorrent terrorist coldly murdered three of our citizens at the Allenby Bridge crossing. On behalf of the government and myself, I extend condolences to the families of the victims."
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Security forces at scene of the attack at the Jordanian border
(Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
He added: "We’re surrounded by a murderous ideology led by Iran’s Axis of Evil. In recent days, vile terrorists have brutally killed six of our hostages in cold blood, as well as three Israeli police officers. The murderers don’t differentiate between us; they want to kill all of us, to the last person – right and left, secular and religious, Jews and non-Jews."
“What prevents the annihilation of our people, as in days past, is the strength of the State of Israel and the IDF’s power. The spirit of bravery among our soldiers, police officers and security forces, the supreme sacrifice of our heroic fallen and the resilience of our people – that’s the difference between us,” he added.
“When we stand together, our enemies can’t defeat us and that’s why their main goal is to divide us, to sow discord in us," Netanyahu said. "Some ask, if we’ll fight forever – in the Middle East, there’s no eternity without fighting."