Tel Aviv [Israel], June 13 : A day before Israel launched strikes on Iran on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu placed a note at the Western Wall with the verse, "A people that rises up as a lioness, and as a lion lifts himself up."
Netanyahu shared a picture of the note on the wall, known as the Wailing Wall or Kotel, on his social media platform X, a sacred Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Early this morning, Israel launched what it called a "pre-emptive operation" on Iran targeting the latter's nuclear program.
In a video statement Netanyahu announced ta "very successful opening strike" carried out by Israeli forces. He said Israel through its large-scale military operation that he named 'Rising Lion' targeted "Iran's main enrichment facility" and "Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb."
"We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program," Netanyahu said.
The military operation, Netanyahu said, is aimed at dismantling what he described as an existential threat posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
"Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival," Netanyahu said in the video statement that was posted on X, adding that the mission would continue "for as many days as it takes to remove this threat."
The Israeli PM accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons programme despite global warnings, noting that Tehran has stockpiles of enriched uranium capable of producing multiple nuclear bombs. "In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs. Nine," he said, warning that Iran could develop a nuclear weapon within months.
Netanyahu likened the situation to the prelude to World War II and referenced the Holocaust, stating, "Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were the victims of a holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime. Today, the Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime."
Reaffirming Israel's red lines, he said, "Israel will never allow those who call for our annihilation to develop the means to achieve that goal. Tonight, Israel backs those words with action."
He detailed the targets of the strike, saying, "We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponization programme. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile programme."
Netanyahu highlighted the growing threat posed by Iran's ballistic missiles, recalling that last year, Iran fired 300 ballistic missiles at Israel. "Each of these missiles carries a tonne of explosives and threatens the lives of hundreds of people. Soon, those missiles could carry a nuclear payload, threatening the lives not of hundreds, but of millions. Iran is gearing up to produce 10,000 of those ballistic missiles within three years. Now just imagine, imagine 10,000 tonnes of TNT landing on a country the size of New Jersey. This is an intolerable threat. It must be stopped."
He accused Iran of surrounding Israel with regional proxies and launching direct attacks, including the October 7 incident. "But the people of Israel, the soldiers of Israel rose like lions to defend our country. We crushed Hamas. We devastated Hezbollah. We hit Iranian proxies in Syria and Yemen. And when Iran directly attacked us twice last year, we struck back inside Iran itself. Yet in defending ourselves, we also defend others."
Netanyahu said Israel's actions extended beyond its borders. "We defend our Arab neighbours. They too have suffered from Iran's campaign of chaos and carnage. Our actions against Iran's proxy Hezbollah led to the establishment of a new government in Lebanon and the collapse of Assad's murderous regime in Syria. The peoples of those two countries now have a chance for a different future, a better future."
Addressing the Iranian people, he said, "Our fight is not with you. Our fight is with the brutal dictatorship that has oppressed you for 46 years. I believe that the day of your liberation is near. And when that happens, the great friendship between our two ancient peoples will flourish once again."
Netanyahu warned of Iran's broader global threat, saying, "We will not let the world's most dangerous regime get the world's most dangerous weapons. And Iran plans to give those weapons, nuclear weapons, to its terrorist proxies. That would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism all too real. The increasing range of Iran's ballistic missiles would bring that nuclear nightmare to the cities of Europe and eventually to America."
Thanking US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu said, "I want to thank President Trump for his leadership in confronting Iran's nuclear weapons programme. He has made clear time and again that Iran cannot have a nuclear enrichment programme. Today, it is clear that Iran is just buying for time. It refuses to agree to this basic requirement of peaceful nations. That is why we have no choice but to act. And act now."
He reflected on the difficult decision to act preemptively, saying, "The hardest decision any leader has to make is to thwart a danger before it is fully materialised. Nearly a century ago, facing the Nazis, a generation of leaders failed to act in time. They were paralysed by the horrors of World War I. They were determined to avoid war at all costs. And they got the worst war ever. They adopted a policy of appeasement. They closed their eyes and ears to all the warning signs."
"That failure to act resulted in World War II, the deadliest war in history. It claimed the lives of 60 million, including 6 million Jews, a third of my people. After that war, the Jewish people and the Jewish state vowed, never again. Well, never again is now."
Defending Israel's military actions, he said, "Today, Israel has shown that we have learned the lessons of history. When enemies vow to destroy you, believe them. When enemies build weapons of mass death, stop them. As the Bible teaches us, when someone comes to kill you, rise and act first. This is exactly what Israel has done today."
He called for national unity and strength, saying, "Be strong and courageous," and expressed confidence in Israel's resolve. "Today, our strong and courageous soldiers and people stand together to defend ourselves against those who seek our destruction. And by defending ourselves, we defend many others and we roll back a murderous tyranny."
"Generations from now, history will record that our generation stood its ground, acted in time, and secured our common future. May God bless Israel. May God bless the forces of civilisation everywhere."