Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his government on Sunday, saying it has "turned Israel into a giant power." During a tumultuous Knesset session granting confidence to the new government, Netanyahu added that "we have firmly confronted Iran's attempt to obtain a nuclear weapon, and we have signed historic peace agreements with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco."
He continued, stating that "the peace agreements achieved the principle of peace for peace, a significant accomplishment that was not easy." Netanyahu further defended his administration, saying, "We have prevented Iran from militarily positioning itself in Syria through airstrikes, and we have destroyed the tunnels Hamas has built over the years in the Gaza Strip, achieving significant security milestones."
He noted, "We have carried out bold operations deep within Iran, and our achievements have transformed Israel into an emerging state, as we rejected a request from the United States to keep our disagreements regarding Iran's nuclear program behind closed doors."
Netanyahu asserted that his government "will be in the opposition until we topple this government and return to power," emphasizing that the new government "will not be able to approve any real operations inside Iran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon."
He added, "Another challenge we face is preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital," pointing out that "I rejected a request from the U.S. administration to freeze settlements."
Netanyahu mentioned, "I have returned twice from the opposition, and each time we come back we correct the mistakes of previous governments," asserting, "We will return to power as soon as possible."
He accused the new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of "stealing the votes of the right," promising that "he will be held accountable in the elections, as the public does not forget."
"I will defeat anyone if direct elections are held on forming the Israeli government," Netanyahu declared, threatening Bennett's new administration, saying, "We will stand against it and topple it sooner than many expect."
Before the vote to grant confidence to the government led by Naftali Bennett, chaos took over the Israeli Knesset. Amid the tension, the newly appointed Prime Minister Bennett thanked Benjamin Netanyahu for his twelve years of service as Prime Minister. However, lawmakers from parties allied with Netanyahu interrupted Bennett, calling him a "liar."
Minutes after the session began, right-wing party leader Bezalel Smotrich was expelled from the Knesset chamber.
