Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is frustrated with top IDF officers’ constant talk about their ability to attack Iran, a senior diplomatic source said on Wednesday.
“It’s like everyone in the army wakes up in the morning and talks about Iran,” the source said. “It’s like they’re trolling. The prime minister doesn’t like it; it’s really not his style.”
The remark came after incoming Israel Air Force commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar said Israel could successfully strike Iran’s nuclear program tomorrow if necessary.
Bennett prefers fewer public references to attacking Iran, with the diplomatic source in Jerusalem referring to the famous line from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: “If you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.”
“All this talk is crazy and is not helpful,” the source said.
Rather, Bennett prefers to refer to “maintaining Israel’s freedom to act.”
In addition, the prime minister believes that Israel’s massive investment in training and building up its forces, with NIS 3.5 billion designated specifically to focusing on threats posed by Iran, speaks for itself.
“The enemy is looking at where we put our money,” the source said.
Bar told Yediot Aharonot that he assumes an attack on Iran “will happen in my time, and my shoulders already understand the weight of the responsibility.”
Asked if he thinks Israel could successfully destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, Bar responded with a double negative – meaning yes: “There is no way that we will operate there, 1,000 kilometers from here, and I will return home without being able to say ‘I completed the mission.’”
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.