Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday that when it comes to the Iranian threat, the government's policy remains the same as with any other enemy, adding that "if you mess with Israel, you pay a price".
Speaking at a conference marking the start of the annual cyber week at Tel Aviv University, the premier said, "my attitude in general when it comes to our enemies - especially Iran - is that we do not work to create destruction and terror, this has never been our policy."
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Infrastructure damage from cyber attack in Iran; Prime Minister Naftali Bennett
(Photo: Dana Kopel)
"My policy is that if you mess with Israel - you will pay a price. You will not be able to harm Israel through proxies, Hezbollah or Hamas, thinking you can get away with it."
He added that in today's world it's no longer necessary to send "100-50 commandos behind enemy lines" to inflict damage on adversaries. "Today it is possible to do things - harm the enemy - through cyber warfare.
"Now, all you need is a few people and a keyboard. In the end, cyber will become the most prominent area of combat in the future."
He added: "I am quite surprised by the shortage, or relative shortage, of cyber tools used in the Ukraine war. At the geopolitical level, we see a lot of investment around the world in cyber attacks."
He also acknowledged recent cyber attacks on civilian infrastructure in Israel, saying, "At the end of the day, companies have a personal responsibility that they must take on. If our customers' information is hacked, it's the companies' problem [to deal with].
"At the national level, Israel's cyber defense system works with companies to help them defend themselves. Just as there is nuclear deterrence, there will be cyber deterrence. "