We have Prime Minister notting Yahoo on the phone with us from his Knesset office in Jerusalem. Only have ten minutes, so I want to get right to it first. Welcome to the program and great to talk to you again, sir. Well, it's very good to talk to you Rush. All right. Some observers in the United States are sensing a new Israel here, less willing to commit to total victory as as in the past, on the basis of the way current conflict with the Hesbaala groups being way. Is that true?
I hope not. I've given my support his opposition leader to the government. People of Israel overwhelmingly have given the support for victory, that is, to remove the threat, much as the US during the Cuban missile process said those missiles have to go. We stay Isabella and those missiles have to go because otherwise there'll be no no peace for leban or no peace for Israel, no peace running.
Now we're hearing, UM, I'm hearing some some discontent in this country that there's some concern that the current Prime Minister isn't willing to unleash a full complement of Israeli ground forces. Um. If that's true, what's the reason. I don't know. We're in the middle of the war and
I don't want to start second testing. I think the important thing is to six year I and the goal, the goal led by the government is to remove eliminate the missile thread and eliminate and breakfast Bala's fighting ability and whatever means required, and then those means should be used planned air, see you name it. I think it's it's important to understand Rush that we're not just dealing
with his Bala Islamic militant thread. We're dealing with an Iranian UH back the salt in a western country, and we're just the first target. And they openly say that we're the first target. We're the small state. You are the big states Europe, though it doesn't understand it's a middle side state, so he doesn't really started up with us.
When a two million of our people are hunker down in bunkers and UH cities are rocketed, are killed in are murdered, and when we respond against these terrorists or hiding deliberately in civilian areas, UH they attack us, they're actually in doing so attack themselves. I don't think I don't think that the US has any such misunderstanding, any such lack of clarity. I hope that Disraeli government doesn't
have lack of clarity. We need clarity in our target, and the target is to remove our common enemy committed to our destruction, uh and something that we have to remove as a clear and present threat to our future, to our security. I couldn't agree with you more. I'm not I'm not trying to foment discord between you and
the Prime Minister either. It's just that so many of us who support you remember past Israeli involvement six Day War on Kipper War um, and it just looks different this time, and so we ask questions why, because like you, we all know that the focus of this is sere you in Iran. We don't hear our government talking to us like that. We don't hear our government telling us that uh in this country. Do you ever sit there
wonder as an individual? I know, and there may be tough questions for you because you're you're leader Likud party and you are very united today in this latest battle with with with hes Mala. Do you ever wonder your to yourself why the US doesn't act now to take out the regime in Iran. The entire world knows who is behind this. They've been helping Al Qaida attacking troops in Iraq. They're not far from getting nuclear weapons. Well, I think this is the greatest question of our time.
It is not only of monumental importance to Israel, because Iran, while denying that the Holocaust took place, is openly declaring it in its intentions to make another Holocaust with the sixman and Jews of Israel that they intend to eliminate. Iran also intends to become UH nuclear power and empire. The long range missiles that now reach every capital in Europe and within a decade would reach the eastern seaboards UH.
And they have a crazy particular shi i Uh steps of a grand apocalypse that is supposed to right about now, which millions will die on all sides, on both side, and this brand of Sheism will will rule the world. Now, you may ask, how is it possible religious wars died in the seventeenth century. Not for them, not for them, not for the likes of Altida who smashed into buildings New York, and not for Iran that is building an atomic arsenal for that effect. So what they've really done
here is fired the first best album. And the question of our response, by our response, I mean not only Israel's response because Bala, but the international response to Iran in its waystation steream. I think that's a crucial question that you're raising. Our President Brush has said, and he's had something very important just recently a month ago, he said that he would not let Iran acquire nuclear weapons. That is very important. How he plans to do it,
what means he plans to use. Of course he leaves with himself. But there's no question right now that there ought to be a division of labor, the US and the responsible members of the international community. If you can find something, they should press Iran and serious sees him assists of support and army of his blah, and Israel should be left to do the job that it must do, that is to disarm and destroyer spissile arsenal to be done. Is anybody stopping you from doing that? Anybody putting the
brakes on you? I don't think so, not not yet. I have to day. I don't think that. You know, we've had all wars have limited time. Uh, you know, it's not an unlimited amount of time anyway, and I said that from day one and the time that you have available, you should use with the power that you have available. The more power you use, the less time you need. So obviously we don't have unlimited time, and therefore we should use more power, a lot more power. Crush.
That's what's required. And I think if Israel shows this dissolve, as Israeli government shows this dissolved, then America, first of all, America would respect it at the end of the day, they are Let me try this quite a little bit of a lengthy question, and I know the phone connection here is not the best, but I want to ask you this because it's it's a it's a topic that's really royaling much of the American population, and that is that the war has two aspects, the PR spin war
and the reality and the and the media. Mr Prime Minister uh suggested Israel is losing the PR media war and has got to change its tactics so that it can win the PR media war. I don't think that Israel can ever win a media war, and I don't think George Bush can ever win a media war because the world's media is not interested in the facts of reality in this current conflict. Uh, you can, you can point out the reality of the he has a lot of people using civilian human shields all day long. It
still will be ignored. Uh. Do you think you can lose the real conflict uh with with Hebllah if you also lose the spin war? Or do you not care about that? Just focus on the reality of actually winning the war as that used to be defined. First of all, win the war, win the war on its gons, and win it quickly and decisively. That would be always my first presence. But secondly, you're quite right that. Indeed, from the twentieth century on, we've learned that too. The meant
a military victory, you must have a political victory. To have a political victory, you must win the battle for public opinion. To win the battle for public opinion, you must convince that public that your cause is just and the cause of your enemy is unjust. There's never been a more just war than this one. That's obvious. We were fired upon from Lebanon and from Gaza when we left and vacated every square inch in a totally unprovoked manner.
Our soldiers were didn't have been murdered, our our studies were walking upon. So this is a just war. Now, can Americans understand that? I happen to think that Americans understand that very well and overwhelmingly. So. I don't believe that is the case in Europe, in Western Europe, at least, perhaps in Eastern Europe, where they understand power a little better. But Western Europe shows signs of abilitation, signs not understanding
where their interests are and where morality is. Uh. They view everything in a post colonial prison as though we are colonialists. We who are living in our land, who are gripping onto our land for three thousand years, we're supposed to be the colonials. But nevertheless, I sense a crack in Europe too. It is not that they support Israel. It is that they don't support the England and they don't support the Islaments because they are being plagued by the same plague. So for them, it's a pox on
both your house. But what America knows. Europe doesn't know. It's our house. It's sustained out Israel, America, the free societies of Europe were the same house. And the likes of Iran and Kristala and al Qaeda. They want to destroy our house. Israel, to be sure, would be their number one target. But we're only their first target. And they save those they want eventually to get you. And they have no problem and no inhibition firing supon civilians
hiding among civilians. These are by the way to war climbs. According to the Geneva Convention, not only can you not deliberately fire on civilians, you cannot deliberately hide among civilians. You have here this criminal organization supported by criminal regimes, with a criminical, criminal goal of destroying Israel, but ultimately destroying the West. Let's not be food. Let's gear ourselves and fight this battle, and let's win it. Well. We
admire every effort you're making, we really do. It's tough to wage war on an enemy that considers the death of its own children victory. Uh. Just one more question is I know your time is limited and you have to go, but I'm trying to figure out how you have a ceasefire. How we can have a ceasefire with terrorists who are backed by Iran, which has their goal
the destruction of Israel. Has anybody, any country, anybody from the United Nations or anybody else explained to you in Israel, how this this ceasefire, a sustainable, meaningful ceasefire with a bunch of terrorists would actually work. No, I don't think so. I don't think the ceasefire by itself will work. I think it will work the other way. Uh. I think running away from terror or not finishing there gets there to come back and bite you, bite you, even with
greater bites. I think that the important thing is what what are the condition that leads to a ceasefire? And it seems to me that the most important thing is to do Dismalla's fighting ability and destroy that missile Arsenal. That's when you should have a ceasefire. They can't fire anymore. Okay, So what you're describing here is a ceasefire the results from your victory. Yes, exactly, makes perfect sense to everybody. Well, look, I'm glad you made time for us today, Mr Prime Minister.
I know it's hectic for you right now. We appreciate the time very much and the best to you always. Good to talk to us, all right for you, bet As Former Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netan Yahoo