Iran's missile offensive against Israel was a "terrible mistake" and Tel Aviv has its greatest opportunity in 50 years to change the face of the Middle East, former Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said. In a post on X after Tehran fired 108 ballistic missiles targeting Israel last night, the former Prime Minister said Israel must act now and destroy Iran's nuclear programme and energy facilities.
"Israel has now its greatest opportunity in 50 years, to change the face of the Middle East. The leadership of Iran, which used to be good at chess, made a terrible mistake this evening. We must act *now* to destroy Iran's nuclear program, its central energy facilities, and to fatally cripple this terrorist regime," Mr Bennett wrote.
A former commando in Israel's elite Sayeret Matkal unit, Mr Bennett leads the New Right party and served as Prime Minister from June 2021 to June 2022. He succeeded Benjamin Netanyahu after he was ousted as Prime Minister in 2021.
Mr Bennett described Iran as the head of the octopus of terror. "To strike the head of the octopus of terror, that, in its cowardice, sent its tentacles (Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, etc.) to murder us, while the Ayatollahs sat safely in their palaces in Tehran. The octopus's tentacles are temporarily paralysed - now comes the head. We must remove this terrible threat to our children's future," he said in the post. "We can grant the Iranian people an opportunity to rise up and shake off the regime that tyrannizes its women and daughters," the former Prime Minister added.
Iran's missile offensive against Israel followed the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Israeli military operations. While Tel Aviv's advanced defence systems intercepted many of the missiles launched by Tehran, many others landed. There have been no casualties in Israel though.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the attack was "in accordance with the United Nations Charter" and followed "a period of restraint" following an "attack on the sovereignty" of Iran -- a reference to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July. The IRGC said the missiles targeted "three military bases" around Tel Aviv as well as air and radar bases.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran made a "big mistake" and warned that it "will pay for it".
In his post on X, Mr Bennett said, "We have the justification. We have the tools. Now that Hezbollah and Hamas are paralyzed, Iran stands exposed. Over this last terrible year, Iranian tentacles murdered our families. Raped our daughters. Kidnapped our children. Ransacked our towns. Burned our fields. Fired on our ships. Terrorized children in Kiryat Shmona, Kfar Aza, and Sderot. Emptied out whole regions of our land. Humiliated us."
"Now is the moment. A Nation of Lions has united and proven its strength over the last year. It has yearned for a change, for action, for so very long. There are times when history knocks at our door, and we must open it. This opportunity must not be missed," the former Prime Minister added.
