Israeli PM Netanyahu draws backlash after citing ‘personal cost' of Iran-Israel war - postponing his son's wedding
Mr Netanyahu (middle) said everyone bear a personal cost due to the ongoing conflict, including his family. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Israeli PM Netanyahu draws backlash after citing 'personal cost' of Iran-Israel war - postponing his son's wedding
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked an uproar after he cited the postponement of his son's wedding as his 'personal cost' amid the ongoing Israel-Iran war.
Speaking in front of the missile-struck Soroka Medical Centre in southern Israel on June 19, Mr Netanyahu has initially tried to draw a parallel between Israel's current crisis and Britain's resilience during World War II.
'It really reminds me of the British people during the blitz. We are going through a blitz,' British newspaper The Guardian reported Mr Netanyahu as saying.
The blitz referred to the wartime Nazi bombing of Britain in which 43,000 civilians died.
'There are people who were killed, families who grieved loved ones, I really appreciate that,' he said.
Israel began attacking Iran on June 13, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks.
Mr Netanyahu said everyone bear a personal cost due to the ongoing conflict, including his family.
'This is the second time that my son Avner has cancelled a wedding due to missile threats. It is a personal cost for his fiancée as well, and I must say that my dear wife is a hero, and she bears a personal cost.'
Mr Avner's wedding to Ms Amit Yardeni was supposed to take place in November 2024, but was postponed due to security concerns.
The wedding was scheduled on June 16, with Israeli media reported that some anti-government protesters had denounced the Netanyahu family for holding a celebration while Israeli hostages are still being held in Gaza.
The backlash of Mr Netanyahu's latest remarks was almost instantaneous, with many criticising his attempt to frame his son's postponed wedding as a symbol of national sacrifice.
Mr Gilad Kariv, a Member of Parliament, described Mr Netanyahu as 'a borderless narcissist'.
'I know many families who were not forced to postpone a wedding, but who will never celebrate the weddings that were once meant to take place,' he said on X.
He was also dismissive of Mr Netanyahu's praise for his wife, Mrs Sara Netanyahu.
'The doctors who leave home for night shifts are the heroes. The teachers who keep our children together on Zoom and phone calls are the heroes.'
Israeli journalist Amir Tibon summed it all up by saying on X: 'With Netanyahu, there are no surprises: even in moments when personal example is most needed, he is preoccupied first and foremost with himself.'
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