Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire: “Israel’s Second War of Independence Will Be Long”
As the IDF advances on Gaza to root out terrorists, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphatically has said no to a cease-fire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejected calls for a cease-fire in comments to the press on Monday.
Netanyahu compared the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas to Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S., saying Israel is equally justified in retaliating against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. He went on to say that Israel will continue its war against Hamas “until victory.”
“Calls for a cease-fire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen,” Netanyahu said.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says that there is a time for peace and a time for war. This is a time for war. A war for our common future,” he continued. “Today we draw a line between the forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism. It is a time for everyone to decide where they stand. Israel will stand against the forces of barbarism until victory. I hope and pray that civilized nations everywhere will back this fight.”
Netanyahu’s rejection of a cease-fire follows his recent assertion: “This war inside the Gaza Strip will be long and difficult — and we are ready for it. This is our second war of independence. We will fight to defend our homeland.” Obviously, the Israeli Prime Minister doesn’t intend to stop the IDF’s mission to root out terrorists in Gaza until he can ensure future generations in Israel are safe.
Unfortunately, the White House isn’t echoing Netanyahu’s sentiments. The Biden Administration is pressuring Israel to enact a cease-fire.
Even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognizes the inherent dangers of calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas:
People who are calling for a ceasefire now, don’t understand Hamas. . . . It would be such a gift to Hamas because they would spend whatever time there was a ceasefire in effect rebuilding their armaments, creating stronger positions to be able to fend off an eventual assault by the Israelis.
Clinton gets it: The only result of a cease-fire would be more dead Israelis. My dad, ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, said if given a choice between either Clinton or Biden as President right now, he’d prefer Clinton because she understands the threat of Hamas way better than Biden.
As usual, the international community continues to condemn Israel. Most notably, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan just accused Israel of war crimes: “Israel, we will proclaim you as a war criminal to the world. . . . We are making our preparations, and we will declare Israel to the world as a war criminal.”
Israel is a war criminal after 1,400 Israelis were brutally murdered?
ACLJ Senior Counsel Andy Ekonomou slammed the Turkish President’s violent history:
I have a word for him, which I cannot use on air. And in the interest of full disclosure, I’m of Greek ancestry. So I can tell you what the Turks have done to the Greeks through the years. But Erdoğan is a very bad actor and a very bad character. He is no respecter of human rights. He is no respecter of religious rights. He is no respecter of civil liberties of any kind. He is a ruthless dictator, and what he may do may bring the whole world into conflict.
The ACLJ knows firsthand how ruthless Erdoğan is from our work to free Pastor Brunson from a Turkish prison. Keep in mind that Turkey is a member of NATO, and its despot President is spewing such dangerous antisemitic rhetoric without restraint. When will the international community hold him accountable?
The ACLJ will never waver in supporting Israel – doing so would be a dereliction of our sacred duty. We continue to invoke the international community to recognize Israel’s right to defend herself from murderous terrorists. Join our efforts in defending Israel by becoming an ACLJ Champion. Your monthly donations will help directly fund our defense of Israel.
Today’s Sekulow broadcast fully analyzed why a cease-fire with Hamas would be a disaster for Israel. ACLJ Senior Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy Ric Grenell also joined to discuss the rising antisemitism at home and abroad.
Watch the full broadcast below: