Netanyahu Vows to Topple Iran Regime at Likud Rally Ahead of October Poll
Netanyahu told a Likud toast-raising event in Tel Aviv that toppling Iran's regime is his top mission, as Israel heads toward an October 27 election.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a Likud party toast-raising event in Tel Aviv to restate hardline security pledges, telling supporters that his government had shielded Israel from an Iranian nuclear threat over the past year and that the work against Tehran's allies remains unfinished.
Speaking from the podium to a cheering crowd, Netanyahu said Israel had been saved from "a threat of atomic bombs that Iran was about to prepare," crediting the people seated in the front row and what he called the heroes of the nation rather than himself. He warned that had Tehran acquired a nuclear arsenal, it would have used it.
The prime minister then turned to what he described as an incomplete mission, saying Israel must "topple the Iranian regime" — a directive he called the country's top priority — and must also eliminate Hezbollah and Hamas. When he asked the crowd who would carry this out, supporters chanted his nickname, "Bibi," in response.
The event, held on Thursday night, comes as Netanyahu seeks re-election on October 27. The vote is widely viewed as a referendum on his nearly uninterrupted 17 years in power and on his handling of a turbulent stretch that has included mass protests, the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas and close to three years of war.
A win would amount to a striking comeback for a leader who has dominated Israeli politics for three decades, while a defeat would likely bring that era to a close.
Supporters at the gathering described their backing in personal terms. Rachel Tzioni said she had come out of admiration for the leader and a wish to see him up close and support him. Yaron Levin, speaking in English, framed the coming ballot as a choice about leadership, arguing that voters who stay home would forfeit the chance to put Netanyahu's talents to work on the economy and security, and that no one else could fill his shoes.
Israeli and blue Likud flags were waved through the hall as Netanyahu and other party members stood on the podium.