Benjamin Netanyahu says "prevention and offence over containment and defence" for Israel

Before Israel’s election on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the country should strike first against emerging dangers instead of waiting to absorb and respond to attacks, and he called for Israel to become a leading military force in the region while depending less on foreign arms supplies. The comments follow the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and wars involving Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, which analysts say have hardened Israeli policy. Analysts also said a Netanyahu win with far-right allies could lead him to intensify the confrontation with Iran and tighten control over the occupied West Bank, while an opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot might change presentation more than core policy. Regional policymakers view the vote as a test of whether the Middle East settles into an extended standoff.