Netanyahu said that under the Labour government, Britain was behaving like a “rogue state” and that its actions against Israel were intended to appease an alliance of left-wing and Islamist forces.
‘They appease their enemies and attack those who defend them.’ Netanyahu
(Photo: Jack GUEZ / AFP)
The suspects detained near the Royal Air Force base last week
(Photo: From X)
In early September, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced economic sanctions on settlements in the West Bank, after saying in the preceding weeks that he intended to “reset” London’s policy toward Israel.
The incident near the Royal Air Force base last week is still being investigated as a suspected attempted terrorist attack, although those detained in the incident were released within a day.
“It [the attack] was stopped. It was prevented,” Netanyahu told interviewer Natalie Lisbona, who met him at his office in Jerusalem. He said this was not the first time Israel had assisted Britain on security matters and said that without the warning provided on this occasion, “it would probably have gone through and we don’t know how many British lives would have been lost.”
He described Britain’s policy toward Israel as “mind-blowing hypocrisy.”
Netanyahu said he had not yet spoken with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, despite Burnham having taken office two months ago. He accused Labour of yielding to domestic pressure over its approach to Israel and acknowledged that relations between the two countries were poor.
“They’re appeasing, they’re attacking Israel, [the country] that is fighting the terrorists in the terrorist regime that is attacking them. They appease their enemies, and they attack their protectors, really. That’s what’s happening. But this is a twist of both logic and justice. It doesn’t serve Britain well, it doesn’t serve the world well.”
He added: “There is a pressure from inside Britain to appease these various Islamist forces in Britain. And once you start appeasing, you don’t stop. That’s what we learn. Churchill called it the slumber of democracies. And by that he meant the democracy sort of slumbers while their enemies begin to attack them… until they hear the jarring gong of danger.”
Netanyahu said Western civilization was engaged in a struggle against barbarians, yet Israel was being portrayed as the great Satan.
“We are not the devil,” he said. “We’re a tiny country fighting here in the heart of the Middle East, not only to protect ourselves, but also to protect the modern Arab states against the Iranian domination and these murderous proxies. And what does the government in Britain do? It turns on the one democracy that is fighting these monstrous regimes in this terrible state, the worst terrorist state on the planet. That’s what Britain is doing. But what I say to the people in Britain, where are you? Those who are protesting against us? Why aren’t you protesting outside the Iranian embassy? Why don’t you get the full venom of the British Government? Where is it? Why is it not directed against Iran? Why is it not directed against his proxies?”
Netanyahu also addressed the issue of migrants reaching Britain by boat across the English Channel.
“I think that if Britain doesn’t regain control over its borders, you will lose Britain. There’s still time for Britain to recover, to regain its senses. I hope that it does, because we’ve had an extraordinary relationship with Britain over the decades, and I’m the first one to regret that it’s… that it’s gone where it’s going.”