Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that Israel is heading into a period of international “isolation” due to its ongoing war in Gaza, which is now nearing its second year, according to a CNN report published Monday. Speaking at a finance ministry conference, Netanyahu said Israel would need to shift toward greater self-reliance, particularly with regard to its economy and arms industry.
“It‘s a word I hate,“ Netanyahu admitted, referring to isolation. “I was the one who brought a free-market revolution to Israel.“
Despite his past efforts to globalise the Israeli economy, Netanyahu now says it might be time to embrace more “autarkic characteristics“, which effectively translate to Israel becoming less reliant on foreign trade and military imports.
Arms Industry in the Spotlight
With multiple European countries including France, the UK and Italy imposing arms restrictions over Israel‘s actions in Gaza, Netanyahu hinted that Israel will need to ramp up its domestic weapons production.
“We‘ll need to develop our weapons industry – we are going to be Athens and super Sparta combined,“ CNN quoted the Israeli PM as saying. “We have no choice, at least for the coming years when we‘ll be required to deal with these isolation attempts.“
While the US remains Israel‘s largest arms supplier and has not imposed any restrictions so far, the previous American administration under then President Joe Biden did delay a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs, in a move that was eventually reversed under the Trump administration.
Blame Game and Economic Worries
Netanyahu partly blamed the isolation on what he called “an extreme Islamist agenda“, which he insists has been influencing the European policy lately. He also accused some nations including Qatar of manipulating social media to turn global opinion against Israel.
“This situation threatens us with the beginnings of economic sanctions and problems importing weapons and weapon parts,“ Netanyahu reportedly said, while adding, “Investing in Israel is the smart thing to do” as he sought to defend Israel‘s economic strength.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted on X that inflation is down and the stock market is rising in Israel.
Critics Hit Back
Calling PM Netanyahu’s comments “crazy“, opposition leader Yair Lapid reportedly said, “Isolation is not fate; it is the result of Netanyahu‘s flawed and failed policy.“
Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot also criticised the government‘s handling of the war and hostages, saying, “There will be no second chance to repair the damage caused by him and his partners who abandoned the hostages and isolated Israel in the world.“
Netanyahu‘s comments come as the international community – including the UN – has warned against further escalation, with some countries moving to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly.
