Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned Monday that Israel would make anyone who seeks to harm the Jewish State pay “in the time and place and way” of its choosing.
“We will contend with anyone who threatens to hurt us- at the time and place and in the ways that benefit the security of the State of Israel,” he said.
Warning that Israel has a “variety of tools and options” to protect its citizens, Gantz stressed during the Knesset plenum during a meeting initiated by opposition parties, about political-military affairs that Jerusalem will retaliate at a time and in a way of its choosing.
“This is not just an Israeli matter, the whole world sees the results of Iran's aggression and must take action. Any agreement with Iran must also address its aggression in the region and its harm both to innocent people and to the global economy,” he said.
Though Iran has denied being behind the attack on the Israeli-managed ship on which a Romanian and British national were killed, an Iranian official was quoted by Nour News as saying that Tehran would respond to any move made against it.
“Although the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the threats of Western officials and those of the Zionist regime as propaganda, any move against the interests and national security of Iran will face a tough and firm response, and Washington and London will be directly responsible for its consequences,” an Iranian official said Monday.
During his speech, he referred to the Iranian attack against the commercial ship while it was sailing in international waters, saying that there have been no less than five such attacks including some by drones.
“Iranian aggression in the region, and in the naval arena in particular, is worsening. In the past year there have been no less than five Iranian hits on international ships, some using UAVs made by Iranian military industries. Iranian UAVs have also been employed to attack Saudi Arabian oil facilities,” the defense minister said.
According to the former chief of staff, the deadly attack against the Mercer Street “that resulted in the murder of two civilians, is a clear violation of international law. It is immoral and it constitutes an escalation” by Iran.
This, he stressed, “is exactly why we must act now against Iran. Iran not only strives to gain nuclear capabilities, but it is also sparking a dangerous arms race and sowing instability in the Middle East via terrorist militias armed with hundreds of UAVs, in Iran, Yemen, Iraq and other countries.”
Warning that the threat posed by Iran is “not a future threat but a tangible and immediate one,” Gantz vowed that Israel will work to remove any threat against Israeli citizens and interests.
"Iran under the murderous Raisi, who will take office this week, will be more dangerous to the world than it has been so far, more destructive to the region than it has been so far, and will strive to become an existential threat to Israel. We will work to remove any such threat,” he said.