President Herzog: Iranian attack on Israel is a ‘declaration of war’
The launch of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at Israel "will be met with a response," IDF chief of staff said Monday evening.
President Isaac Herzog said that Iran’s major missile attack on Israel on Saturday is a “declaration of war”, as Jerusalem is expected to launch a military attack on Tehran or its proxies in the coming days.
“Every one of us should look and ask, what would we do have we been attacked in such an aggressive way, as we were attacked last night from four corners of the Middle East with proxies shooting at us, firing missiles, ballistic missiles, drones, and then cruise missiles? This is like a real war. This is a declaration of war,” President Herzog told Sky News on Tuesday.
“Now, because we are restrained and because we know the repercussions, and because we have deliberations with our partners, we are considering all options and I’m quite confident that we will take the necessary steps to protect and defend our people. We are not war seekers,” he added.
A source told Jewish News that the war cabinet has agreed to respond to Iran’s attack on Saturday, which saw 120 ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles and 170 drones fired at Israel from Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.
IDF chief of staff Herzl Halevi stated on Monday that Iran “wanted to harm the strategic capabilities of the State of Israel — that is something that had not happened before.”
“We were prepared for the ‘Iron Shield’ operation (Israel’s name for the missile defence against Iran) — preparation that brought Iran to also encounter aerial superiority.”
“We are looking ahead, we are considering our steps, and this launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs into the territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response,” he added.
Herzog also lashed out at the Houthi rebels’ attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, which has taken a toll on the international economy.
“Every citizen in the world is suffering in the cost of living because they’ve armed a small tribe called the Houthis in Yemen, while blocking the main artery of a commercial sea and transportation around the world, in the Red Sea. Another example why we should not turn a blind eye. But we should be looking lucidly at the phenomena called Tehran and Iran. Why is this empire of evil using its weapons all over?” he said.
“All Ukrainian citizens are suffering from their drones. It’s another perfect example of how they operate all over the world. And we are here. We are here to protect Europe in many ways from this empire of evil and it’s about time we realise it,” he added.
Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz called on the world to sanction Iran and proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation following Saturday’s attack.
“I am leading a political attack against Iran. This morning I sent letters to 32 countries and spoke with dozens of foreign ministers and leading figures in the world demanding that sanctions be imposed on the Iranian missile project and that the Revolutionary Guards be declared a terrorist organization, as a way to contain and weaken Iran . Iran must be stopped now – before it is too late,” Katz wrote on X on Tuesday morning.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
