Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a Jewish News Syndicate event at "The Shul of Bal Harbour" in Miami, following his meetings with US President Donald Trump and Trump Administration officials earlier this week.
Reflecting on the tragic history of the Jewish people, Netanyahu pointed out that after being exiled from their land, the Jewish people suffered horrific consequences, including pogroms and massacres, culminating in the Holocaust. He shared a poignant moment with Jake Wachsal, a 101-year-old Holocaust survivor, stating: "Jake is a Holocaust survivor. He escaped the death camps, and I shook his hand, and I said to him, and I said to you, I say to the entire world, never again. Never again. Never. Never again was last year in which we demonstrated to the would-be destroyers of Israel, we shall destroy you. You shall not destroy us. Never again is next year, and never again is forever, because we have changed Jewish history with the establishment of the sovereign Jewish state and the sovereign Jewish army. In our defense arms, we are able to do something the Jews, for centuries in the diaspora, could not do. We were vilified by horrible lies, horrible lies. We're poisoning the wells. We're massacring Christian children to use their blood to bake matzos for Pesach. We were carrying vermin. And these vilifications always preceded a physical attack. We could defend ourselves, neither against the first nor the second."
He continued: "But with the rise of the State of Israel, one thing changed. We have the capacity to fend off our would-be killers. We do that and we demonstrated that. We restored the capacity of the Jewish people to defend themselves by themselves. We could do so with our own independent force. It doesn't mean that we've stopped the vilifications, they still continue, but we have the capacity to make sure that they don't succeed."
Netanyahu highlighted the heroic actions of Israeli soldiers, including Rani Gvili, who died after killing 14 terrorists while defending his comrades during the October 7 massacre, and who is the last remaning Israeli hostage in Gaza. "We can do so because we have incredibly brave soldiers like Rani Gvili, a hero of Israel, a hero of Israel. Rani came to the front on October 7, came to the front with a broken arm, and then he was shot twice and he killed 14 terrorists before he ran out of bullets, and they killed him, and they took his body to Gaza, and I say to you, Talik and Itzik, his beloved parents, and his sisters who are here and brother, we shall return him, we're working on it right now. He shall be back. The first one in, last one out, but he'll be back. Back to you and back to us."
The Prime Minister also credited Israel's strength in the face of adversity, citing Israel's economic and military resilience. He noted that Israel’s economy had been rated among the top three in the world despite the ongoing war and emphasized the importance of strength in forging peace agreements, referencing the historic Abraham Accords during President Trump’s first term. Netanyahu stated, "Peace through strength, prosperity through strength, hope through strength," underscoring Israel’s strategic approach.
In his speech, Netanyahu also addressed the rising tide of global antisemitism, asserting the need for collective action against this growing threat. He urged the Jewish community to not retreat in the face of attacks, but instead to stand tall and fight back. "I say to you, the members of the Jewish community of the United States, the last thing you should do before antisemitic attacks, as they attack you, the last thing you should do is lower your head and seek cover. That's not what you should do. You should stand up and be counted. You should fight back. You should speak up. You should attack your attackers. You should delegitimize the delegitimizers. That's what you need to do."
"And I have a secret for you. Nobody will fight for you more than you fight for yourself. That's what happens when Israel fights for itself. All the governments, not all, but so many of the governments in the world come to us. When Israel is strong, others want to partner with us. You stand up and be counted, and you will see the difference. Don't be afraid. Don't cower. Don't lower your head. And to the young college student who asked me before, 17 years old, he said, what to do? Speak up, stand up, fight back. That's the important thing. It's called fight, fight, fight, and then we shall win, win, win with God's help," he said at the conclusion of his remarks.