Netanyahu warns Iran's leaders: An attack will be answered powerfully

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a warning on Tuesday to Iran's leaders during the Negev Conference in Dimona.

"We are prepared for any scenario. I can tell you only one thing, and I will say this to the leaders of Iran: Do not count on it being quiet if you attack us. Do not count on a rerun. Because it will not be a rerun, and that was already powerful enough. This will be a different event, much more powerful," Netanyahu threatened.

"The days when someone hurts us and we do not strike them back twofold are over. We did this to the Axis of Evil in Iran, and we will continue to do so to anyone who harms us. That is what we do," he added.

Speaking at the conference, Netanyahu said Israel has adopted a new security doctrine following the October 7 massacre, emphasizing initiative and offensive action rather than containment.

"Where is the Gaza envelope today? Today it is inside Gaza. Where is the Lebanon envelope today? Inside Lebanon. Where is the Golan envelope? Inside Syria. This is a new concept. We have changed our entire approach," he said.

"When people asked me, 'What is the difference between before October 7th and after?' I said: We are changing it. I am taking the reins, and I am changing it."

The Prime Minister said the responsibility for determining national policy belongs to the country's elected leadership. "We do not have a military with a state. Even though the military is fantastic, it is not good at statecraft and policy. That is the responsibility of the statesmen, and we took responsibility and led the country onto a different path: A path of initiative, action, and attack, not containment."

He added that the policy shift had changed both the strategic situation and the national mindset. "This is a polar shift, and the change we made has not only changed the face of the Middle East, it has also changed us. We are filled with determination to defend ourselves, and we are ready to remove any barrier of fear that once existed."

"You know what our greatest achievement is? We broke through the barrier of fear."

Turning to the development of the Negev, Netanyahu praised Dimona Mayor Benny Biton and said the city had undergone a dramatic transformation. "Everything has turned around. Go outside, look at these towers, look at the institutions, look at the roads, look at the interchanges, look at the train, look at the demand," he said.

"There is nowhere we can fully meet the demand right now. We have added thousands of housing units, and we need more. Israelis are choosing and voting with their feet."

Netanyahu said he seeks to eliminate the concept of Israel's geographic "periphery." "I want to eliminate the concept of the 'periphery' in the State of Israel. There is the Galilee, there is the Negev, there is the Center, and you can get from here to there in minutes, in under an hour. This is the vision, and it is being realized."

Recalling past visits to communities across the Negev, including Yeruham, Mitzpe Ramon, the western Negev and Kibbutz Nir Oz, Netanyahu said the government is investing heavily in rebuilding the region following the October 7 massacre. "I said there in clear terms: we will rebuild the region affected by the terrible massacre of October 7 many times over. And that is exactly what we are doing in practice."

He said the "Tekuma" region is experiencing record growth. "The number of residents in the area today is larger than the number of residents on the eve of the terrorist attack. Veteran residents are returning, new residents are joining, and communities are growing anew."

Netanyahu said the government's approach is based on two principles: "Security and prosperity."

He pointed to the construction of the barrier along the Israel-Egypt border as an example of decisions taken despite opposition. "I ordered the construction of the long barrier along the Israel-Egypt border, a fence of over 200 kilometers."

"This stopped the entry of smugglers and, of course, hundreds of thousands of infiltrators, reducing it to zero, as well as the spillover of terrorism from the Sinai Peninsula."

He added that Israel is continuing efforts to strengthen governance and security in the Negev while combating nationalistic crime in the south.

Addressing infrastructure and economic development, Netanyahu said the government is investing in roads, railways and airports to strengthen the Negev and connect it more closely with the rest of the country.

"We have deployed this transportation infrastructure across the country... this infrastructure shortens the travel time from the center of the country to the Negev, and from the Negev to the center."

He said an additional airport would be built in Ziklag and pledged to extend a railway from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat. "I want to run a railway line from Kiryat Shmona all the way to Eilat. That, too, will happen."

Netanyahu also said the government would continue developing Ramon Airport and transportation infrastructure throughout the south.

Concluding his remarks, Netanyahu called on local leaders to tell residents about the government's investment in the Negev. "I ask only one thing of you: Inform your residents and tell them what we are doing here."

"Look around you, look at your community, look at what was here then and what is here now - and ask yourselves which governments invested in this monumental effort. And I do this out of immense love."