Tel Aviva, Israel - Mar. 31, 2026 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 31 March 2026) [translated from Hebrew]:
"My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, on the eve of this Festival of Freedom, Israel is stronger than ever. The entire world hears our lion’s roar in our struggle against the evil regime in Iran, a struggle in which we have achieved immense, enormous accomplishments.
But at the same time, there are painful costs. Only yesterday, we lost four of our best sons. On behalf of the citizens of Israel, and on behalf of myself and my wife Sara, I send our deepest condolences to the families of the fallen. We all embrace with love the families who lost what is most precious to them, and we all embrace with love our heroic wounded, wounded in body and soul. For we are one people, bound by the cords of a common destiny to ensure our existence and our future.
Marking one month of our joint campaign with the US, we are systematically crushing the terrorist regime that for decades cried: 'Death to America, Death to Israel.' It is true, in every generation they rise up to destroy us, and in this generation, the regime of the ayatollahs made a massive effort to annihilate us, to take over the Middle East, and to threaten the entire world. It tried to promote these murderous ambitions through the development of nuclear programs and ballistic missiles, the funding and arming of terror proxies around us, and by weathering the heavy sanctions imposed upon it. Now, I want to tell you: Over the years, all of this has cost Iran nearly a trillion dollars. And now it can be said: That trillion has gone down the drain.
But the price we exacted from Iran did not end with money alone. In the spirit of the upcoming Passover holiday, since the beginning of the 'War of Redemption,' we have dealt ten plagues upon the Axis of Evil: The blow to Hamas in Gaza, the blow to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the blow to Assad in Syria, the blow to terrorist organizations in Judea and Samaria, the blow to the Houthis in Yemen, and five more blows to Iran: The blow to their nuclear program, the blow to their missiles, the blow to the regime's infrastructure, the blow to the forces of oppression, and the 'Plague of the Firstborn', or in our case, the blow to the senior leadership. From the tyrant Khamenei, to the nuclear scientists, and onto the master-murderers of the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij, not to mention Nasrallah, Haniyeh, Deif, Sinwar, and many, many more.
After the ten plagues of Egypt, I remind you that Pharaoh still tried to harm the People of Israel, and we all know how that ended. So it is in the campaign against the Iranian Axis of Evil. The campaign is not yet over, but even now it can be said that against the ten plagues suffered by our enemies, we have achieved ten great accomplishments in operations 'Rising Lion’ and 'Roaring Lion’, and in the War of Redemption as a whole.
One, we created a strategic reversal. Before these two operations, Iran sought to suffocate us. Today, we are suffocating them. The Ayatollah regime in Iran is weaker than ever, and the State of Israel is stronger than ever.
Two, we awakened the world to the danger Iran poses to all of humanity. Before the operations, most of the world did not heed our warnings. I want to tell you, I spoke with leaders in the Middle East in secret and in public meetings. I spoke with leaders in Europe. I also spoke with leaders in the US, with US Presidents. They did not internalize the danger. Today, there is no one who does not understand the magnitude of the threat. There are those who tell me in private conversations: 'Prime Minister, we understand. We are afraid to say it, but we understand.' And there are those who say: 'We understand', and, thank G-d, they are also acting.
Three, before the operations, we fought Iran alone. Today, we fight shoulder to shoulder with the United States, in an unprecedented, historic cooperation between President Trump and myself, and between the US military and the Israel Defense Forces. Not only have we strengthened the alliance with the U.S., but we are also creating new alliances with important countries in the region against the shared Iranian threat. I hope that soon, citizens of Israel, I will be able to tell you more about these vital alliances.
Four, we undermined the foundations of the terrorist regime, which before the operations appeared all-powerful. Today, following ‘Rising Lion' and the protests in Iran that followed, and following the crushing blows we have dealt Iran in 'Roaring Lion', we have shaken this regime. And I tell you, sooner or later, it is destined to fall.
Five, we dealt a severe blow to, and removed from over our heads, two existential threats. Before the two operations, Iran was racing forward to develop nuclear weapons and tens of thousands of ballistic missiles. In 'Rising Lion,' we pushed away the immediate threat of Iran arming itself with nuclear weapons and numerous ballistic missiles, and in 'Roaring Lion’ we achieved a complementary success by crushing the regime's industrial capacity to produce these instruments of destruction. I want you to understand, Khamenei intended to take the industrial capacity for nuclear and missile production and hide it deep, deep underground. When I realized this, I brought it before the Cabinet and said: 'We must act, because otherwise, we will not be able to reach these instruments of destruction and the means that produce them.' We had to act and we acted.
Six, we broke the power of Iran's terrorist armies that surrounded us in a noose. It is true, they still have residual capability to threaten us, but they can no longer threaten our existence, or launch the tens of thousands of ballistic missiles and rockets that were intended to destroy Israel's cities. I remember before we set out on the War of Redemption, they spoke of 150,000 rockets and missiles and thousands of Hamas missiles. All of these were supposed to turn Israel's cities – Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba – into heaps of ruins. That will no longer happen.
Seven, we established security zones deep beyond our borders. In Gaza – in more than half of the Strip's territory. In Syria – from the Hermon ridge to the Yarmouk. And in Lebanon – in an extensive buffer zone that thwarts the threat of invasion and pushes back the threat of anti-tank missile fire on our communities.
Eight, we changed our security concept. We are the ones who attack and initiate, and we are the ones who surprise our enemies.
Nine, we proved that our air defense system is the best in the world. I want to tell you, so many countries turn to us and ask for our help, because they know we are number one in defense, and also number one in offense.
Ten, we showed the wonderful resilience of the People of Israel and the Israeli economy, which, even in a time of war, is breaking records.
Citizens of Israel, we achieved these brilliant accomplishments thanks to you. Thanks to our faith and our strength, which are the guarantee of our existence. Enemies come and go but our ability and determination to stand against them, and, when necessary, to strike them thoroughly, these are the things that ensure our future. Together, we have turned Israel into a regional power, and in certain fields, even a global power. We achieved this thanks to our brave commanders and fighters in the regular and reserve forces, thanks to the fallen heroes of Israel, thanks to your steadfastness, citizens of Israel, and thanks to the courageous decisions we made in the Government of Israel.
While there were those who showed weakness and surrender, we continued the war with full force and struck our enemies with determination and without fear. While there were those who mocked the relationships we built, including with the US, we stuck to the mission and changed the face of the Middle East. We created the conditions for expanding alliances and the circle of peace around us.
Many times during the last two and a half years, I stood before fateful decisions: Rafah, Philadelphi, pagers, Nasrallah, the entry into Gaza City, the insistence on returning all our hostages down to the last one, and not doing more partial deals, the entry into Syria to save our Druze brothers, and of course the bold decisions on 'Rising Lion' and 'Roaring Lion': In all these decisions, I listened to you, citizens of Israel, and I listened to you, the fighters. I met you in the field. You told me: 'We understand well what is at stake. We are strong. Prime Minister, do not surrender to the voices of weakness and gloom. Continue to fight. Continue to lead us from victory to victory.' And that is exactly what we are doing! Connect to the spirit of the people, to the spirit of heroism, to the spirit of victory of our mighty fighters!
From the infantry soldier charging forward in Gaza and Lebanon to the pilot crossing the skies of Tehran, the Israeli fighter is bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, and brave as a lion. We will continue to crush the terrorist regime, we will fortify the security zones around us, and we will achieve our goals.
In the Passover Haggadah, it is said: 'And it is this that has stood for our forefathers and for us, for not only one has risen against us to destroy us, but the Holy One, Blessed be He, saves us from their hand.' The heritage of Israel and our right to our land is what stood for our ancestors, and it is what stands for us. The nation stands firm, and we must all continue to stand firm, and thus, with G-d's help, we will ensure the eternity of Israel.
A happy Festival of Freedom to the entire House of Israel."
Tel Aviva, Israel - Mar. 31, 2026 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 31 March 2026) [translated from Hebrew]:
"My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, on the eve of this Festival of Freedom, Israel is stronger than ever. The entire world hears our lion’s roar in our struggle against the evil regime in Iran, a struggle in which we have achieved immense, enormous accomplishments.
But at the same time, there are painful costs. Only yesterday, we lost four of our best sons. On behalf of the citizens of Israel, and on behalf of myself and my wife Sara, I send our deepest condolences to the families of the fallen. We all embrace with love the families who lost what is most precious to them, and we all embrace with love our heroic wounded, wounded in body and soul. For we are one people, bound by the cords of a common destiny to ensure our existence and our future.
Marking one month of our joint campaign with the US, we are systematically crushing the terrorist regime that for decades cried: 'Death to America, Death to Israel.' It is true, in every generation they rise up to destroy us, and in this generation, the regime of the ayatollahs made a massive effort to annihilate us, to take over the Middle East, and to threaten the entire world. It tried to promote these murderous ambitions through the development of nuclear programs and ballistic missiles, the funding and arming of terror proxies around us, and by weathering the heavy sanctions imposed upon it. Now, I want to tell you: Over the years, all of this has cost Iran nearly a trillion dollars. And now it can be said: That trillion has gone down the drain.
But the price we exacted from Iran did not end with money alone. In the spirit of the upcoming Passover holiday, since the beginning of the 'War of Redemption,' we have dealt ten plagues upon the Axis of Evil: The blow to Hamas in Gaza, the blow to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the blow to Assad in Syria, the blow to terrorist organizations in Judea and Samaria, the blow to the Houthis in Yemen, and five more blows to Iran: The blow to their nuclear program, the blow to their missiles, the blow to the regime's infrastructure, the blow to the forces of oppression, and the 'Plague of the Firstborn', or in our case, the blow to the senior leadership. From the tyrant Khamenei, to the nuclear scientists, and onto the master-murderers of the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij, not to mention Nasrallah, Haniyeh, Deif, Sinwar, and many, many more.
After the ten plagues of Egypt, I remind you that Pharaoh still tried to harm the People of Israel, and we all know how that ended. So it is in the campaign against the Iranian Axis of Evil. The campaign is not yet over, but even now it can be said that against the ten plagues suffered by our enemies, we have achieved ten great accomplishments in operations 'Rising Lion’ and 'Roaring Lion’, and in the War of Redemption as a whole.
One, we created a strategic reversal. Before these two operations, Iran sought to suffocate us. Today, we are suffocating them. The Ayatollah regime in Iran is weaker than ever, and the State of Israel is stronger than ever.
Two, we awakened the world to the danger Iran poses to all of humanity. Before the operations, most of the world did not heed our warnings. I want to tell you, I spoke with leaders in the Middle East in secret and in public meetings. I spoke with leaders in Europe. I also spoke with leaders in the US, with US Presidents. They did not internalize the danger. Today, there is no one who does not understand the magnitude of the threat. There are those who tell me in private conversations: 'Prime Minister, we understand. We are afraid to say it, but we understand.' And there are those who say: 'We understand', and, thank G-d, they are also acting.
Three, before the operations, we fought Iran alone. Today, we fight shoulder to shoulder with the United States, in an unprecedented, historic cooperation between President Trump and myself, and between the US military and the Israel Defense Forces. Not only have we strengthened the alliance with the U.S., but we are also creating new alliances with important countries in the region against the shared Iranian threat. I hope that soon, citizens of Israel, I will be able to tell you more about these vital alliances.
Four, we undermined the foundations of the terrorist regime, which before the operations appeared all-powerful. Today, following ‘Rising Lion' and the protests in Iran that followed, and following the crushing blows we have dealt Iran in 'Roaring Lion', we have shaken this regime. And I tell you, sooner or later, it is destined to fall.
Five, we dealt a severe blow to, and removed from over our heads, two existential threats. Before the two operations, Iran was racing forward to develop nuclear weapons and tens of thousands of ballistic missiles. In 'Rising Lion,' we pushed away the immediate threat of Iran arming itself with nuclear weapons and numerous ballistic missiles, and in 'Roaring Lion’ we achieved a complementary success by crushing the regime's industrial capacity to produce these instruments of destruction. I want you to understand, Khamenei intended to take the industrial capacity for nuclear and missile production and hide it deep, deep underground. When I realized this, I brought it before the Cabinet and said: 'We must act, because otherwise, we will not be able to reach these instruments of destruction and the means that produce them.' We had to act and we acted.
Six, we broke the power of Iran's terrorist armies that surrounded us in a noose. It is true, they still have residual capability to threaten us, but they can no longer threaten our existence, or launch the tens of thousands of ballistic missiles and rockets that were intended to destroy Israel's cities. I remember before we set out on the War of Redemption, they spoke of 150,000 rockets and missiles and thousands of Hamas missiles. All of these were supposed to turn Israel's cities – Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba – into heaps of ruins. That will no longer happen.
Seven, we established security zones deep beyond our borders. In Gaza – in more than half of the Strip's territory. In Syria – from the Hermon ridge to the Yarmouk. And in Lebanon – in an extensive buffer zone that thwarts the threat of invasion and pushes back the threat of anti-tank missile fire on our communities.
Eight, we changed our security concept. We are the ones who attack and initiate, and we are the ones who surprise our enemies.
Nine, we proved that our air defense system is the best in the world. I want to tell you, so many countries turn to us and ask for our help, because they know we are number one in defense, and also number one in offense.
Ten, we showed the wonderful resilience of the People of Israel and the Israeli economy, which, even in a time of war, is breaking records.
Citizens of Israel, we achieved these brilliant accomplishments thanks to you. Thanks to our faith and our strength, which are the guarantee of our existence. Enemies come and go but our ability and determination to stand against them, and, when necessary, to strike them thoroughly, these are the things that ensure our future. Together, we have turned Israel into a regional power, and in certain fields, even a global power. We achieved this thanks to our brave commanders and fighters in the regular and reserve forces, thanks to the fallen heroes of Israel, thanks to your steadfastness, citizens of Israel, and thanks to the courageous decisions we made in the Government of Israel.
While there were those who showed weakness and surrender, we continued the war with full force and struck our enemies with determination and without fear. While there were those who mocked the relationships we built, including with the US, we stuck to the mission and changed the face of the Middle East. We created the conditions for expanding alliances and the circle of peace around us.
Many times during the last two and a half years, I stood before fateful decisions: Rafah, Philadelphi, pagers, Nasrallah, the entry into Gaza City, the insistence on returning all our hostages down to the last one, and not doing more partial deals, the entry into Syria to save our Druze brothers, and of course the bold decisions on 'Rising Lion' and 'Roaring Lion': In all these decisions, I listened to you, citizens of Israel, and I listened to you, the fighters. I met you in the field. You told me: 'We understand well what is at stake. We are strong. Prime Minister, do not surrender to the voices of weakness and gloom. Continue to fight. Continue to lead us from victory to victory.' And that is exactly what we are doing! Connect to the spirit of the people, to the spirit of heroism, to the spirit of victory of our mighty fighters!
From the infantry soldier charging forward in Gaza and Lebanon to the pilot crossing the skies of Tehran, the Israeli fighter is bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, and brave as a lion. We will continue to crush the terrorist regime, we will fortify the security zones around us, and we will achieve our goals.
In the Passover Haggadah, it is said: 'And it is this that has stood for our forefathers and for us, for not only one has risen against us to destroy us, but the Holy One, Blessed be He, saves us from their hand.' The heritage of Israel and our right to our land is what stood for our ancestors, and it is what stands for us. The nation stands firm, and we must all continue to stand firm, and thus, with G-d's help, we will ensure the eternity of Israel.
A happy Festival of Freedom to the entire House of Israel."
