Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently equated the second postponement of his son’s wedding to the “personal cost” of the country’s ongoing war with Iran. These comments emerged at the height of the raging conflict as an Iranian missile struck Soroka Medical Centre, the largest hospital in southern Israel, early Thursday.
Standing just steps away from the missile-hit medical facility sustaining extensive damage from the ravages of the war, the Israeli leader spoke out. He even likened his country’s current state to London during The Blitz. “It really reminds me of the British people during The Blitz. We are going through a blitz,” he said referring to Nazi Germany’s bombing campaign targetting the UK during wartime.
“There are people who were killed, families who grieved loved ones, I really appreciate that,” he added.
In the same breath, he went on to describe how his own family had seemingly suffered due to the horrors unfolding during the Israel-Iran war. “Each of us bears a personal cost, and my family has not been exempt,” he said after the Soroka Hospital was impacted, leading to dozens of injuries.
He noted how it was the second time his son Avner had pushed back his wedding due to the missile threats. “It is a personal cost for his fiancee as well, and I must say that my dear wife is a hero, and she bears a personal cost,” Netanyahu continued.
PM Netanyahu’s ‘personal cost’ comments stuns Israel
The Israeli PM’s son, Avner Netanyahu, was originally meant to tie the knot with his fiancee in November. The nuptials were eventually postponed due to security issues. Ultimately, the couple were looking to get hitched on Monday amid threats of opposition protests.
Given what the country’s leader said against the backdrop of the missile-struck Soroka Hospital, Israeli officials called out his comments for their underlying insensitive connotations.
Anat Angrest, the mother of Israeli soldier Matan being held hostage by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, redirected the focus on her own plight.
Responding to Netanyahu’s wedding statement, she said on X that the suffering “didn’t go unnoticed by my family either,” as per the Guardian’s translation. She further addressed the prime minister, saying that she was waiting for him to save her son, who had been “in the hellish dungeons of Gaza for 622 days now.”
Israeli journalist Amir Tibon also joined the outcry and slammed Netanyahu for his comments about a wedding while innocent civilians, including children, were being killed in military strikes.
“But there are no surprises with Netanyahu. Even in moments when a personal example is most needed, he is first and foremost concerned with himself,” Tibon said.
Similarly, Gilad Kariv, Member of the Israeli Knesset, said, “I know many families who were not forced to postpone a wedding, but who will now never celebrate the weddings that were once meant to take place.” He also branded him a “borderless narcissist.”