Israel’s leadership and opposition politicians visited various Iranian missile impact sites on Sunday, expressing support for the joint Israel-US Operation Roaring Lion against Iran and backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Isaac Herzog arrived at the scene of a hit in central Israel, standing in the rubble of buildings and cars that had been severely damaged by an Iranian missile barrage.
He said he came to express his support and “strengthen the people of Israel.”
“This is not an easy time. It is clear that the sirens, the noise, and the change in routine are very burdensome. But we are in a time when we will be able to see for generations to come.”
He thanked the US and Israeli military, along with Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.
“Thank you to all the teams, to the people of Israel, and to the political system. We are united together at this moment to defeat the enemy and bring about change,” he said.
Ben-Gvir praises Netanyahu’s leadership
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated at an impact scene in central Israel that the country had made history by killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and that “the head of the snake had been severed.”
“The era is over. We have severed the head of the snake,” Ben-Gvir said.
“There were those who had doubts, those who said, ‘What, you won’t succeed,’ or ‘Will you succeed?’ We are winning in Iran, and we will continue until the end,” he continued.
Ben-Gvir praised Netanyahu’s work in coordinating the attacks.
The right-wing minister also encouraged citizens to arm themselves.
“I call on citizens to carry weapons; those who have weapons should carry them,” he said.
“In the end, these Nazis want to destroy all of us – right-wing, left-wing, secular, religious – they don’t care,’ Ben-Gvir continued.
“They want to eliminate all of us, and we are eliminating them one by one. I am proud of what we have done. We will continue to act and to lead the State of Israel to victories,” he concluded.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich arrived at a separate impact site in central Israel, vowing that any citizen whose property was damaged would receive full compensation.
“We will ensure that everyone whose home was damaged receives full compensation and rehabilitation so that you can return to your daily lives safely and as quickly as possible,” Smotrich said.
Opposition party leaders arrived at the scene of the missile hit as well, where they expressed their full backing for Operation Roaring Lion and the government.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) said at the scene, “Israel is doing the right thing.”
“The coordination with the Americans is unprecedented. The entire people of Israel are united behind this operation. The protective guidelines save lives,” Lapid added.
Leader of the Democrats Party, Yair Golan, also arrived at the scene on Sunday morning. “The scale of the destruction is enormous, but standing against it is our civilian strength in all its glory,” he stated.
“The mobilization of the home front moves me deeply,” he added.
“All are standing as one, out of mutual responsibility, understanding the urgency of the moment. This is the true Israeli resilience, and I am proud of our people, who know how to unite in the most difficult hours of trial.”
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett arrived at the missile impact site, expressing support for the government. Bennett is a leading rival candidate against Netanyahu in the upcoming elections.
“I’ve never been prouder to be Israeli,” he said while backing the operation at the scene.
Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot and leader of the Yashar! Party, also rivaling Netanyahu, arrived at the impact scene in central Israel.
“The strike in Iran is a very impressive one,” he said. “This is a just war, and I want to commend those carrying it out: the operators, the pilots, intelligence personnel, Mossad members, and the decision-makers, the government of Israel, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“This is a just war that we must win, even if there are difficult days ahead,” he added.