Israeli press review: Netanyahu says wars will never end

Israeli press review: Netanyahu says wars will never end Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Wed, 07/01/2026 - 14:53 Meanwhile, one poll finds that Israeli students are now more racist, while another finds that large numbers of children have PTSD Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the funeral of Gal Meir Eisenkot, on 24 June 2026 (Reuters) Off Israel's wars will never end, says Netanyahu Israel 's wars across the Middle East will never end, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel 14 News on Tuesday. In a rare and lengthy interview with a channel that is widely seen in Israel as his mouthpiece, Netanyahu responded to a question about whether Israel’s wars in the region are concluding by indicating that military operations will continue. “We have achieved tremendous accomplishments,” the Israeli prime minister said, citing the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and the occupation of parts of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. “We broke the barrier of fear. For 47 years, no one dared attack Iran,” he said, referring to the two wars begun by Israel and the US against Iran. Asked whether the goal of “total victory”, a term Netanyahu coined immediately after the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023, was still achievable, the prime minister replied that “it never ends”. “If you want to live in the Middle East, and in the world, you have to be very strong,” Netanyahu said, adding that now “Israel is stronger than ever”. Later in the interview, Netanyahu said that “nobody believed” Israel could have achieved its war goals, with the prime minister immediately turning to the audience and asking, “isn’t anyone applauding?” The audience responded with applause. During the interview, Netanyahu was also asked whether the “emigration” of Gaza’s residents was still under consideration. He corrected the interviewer, saying, “Voluntary emigration”, referring to an Israeli euphemism for the expulsion of the Palestinians from Gaza, and added: “I prefer to talk less and do more.” When asked about Jewish settlement in Gaza, Israel's prime minister replied in the same manner, saying: “The big question is whether you should act or talk.” Netanyahu said Israel is under pressure from countries around the world and therefore, “I don't have to challenge the entire world at every moment and on every issue”. Israeli students now more racist, poll finds Israeli students will vote in elections this October for the first time since the genocide in Gaza started, with Haaretz reporting that today’s graduates are more racist than their predecessors. There has been a rise in racist views among teenagers in recent years, the Israeli daily reported, with youth workers and academics warning of the impact of this phenomenon. Israel is carrying out 'reproductive genocide' against Palestinians Read More » According to a poll conducted by Israel’s education ministry, in 2025 there was a steep rise in the number of students who believe that there are groups in Israel - like Palestinian citizens - that do not deserve to be part of society. According to the poll, 52 percent of students who come from religious schools supported this notion, while 35 percent of students from secular schools thought the same. Among Arab-speaking schools, the number stood at 34 percent. “National sentiment has grown stronger, along with the desire for a stronger Jewish identity and an increased willingness to enlist in combat service,” said a youth movement official to Haaretz, referring to the shifting attitudes of Jewish students. Another youth organiser mentioned there was a growing fear among Jewish students of Arabs, but said the bigger problem was the erosion in their trust of the democratic institutions of the state. In addition to racist views and lack of trust in Israel's democracy, the report said that Jewish graduates from Israel's secular education system do not believe that peace with the Palestinians is achievable. One Jewish high school principal said that graduates “do not believe in peace or in a political solution to the conflict between the two peoples”. 'A tsunami of mental health problems' A new Israeli study has warned of the terrible impact war has had on the children of Israeli reserve soldiers, Ynet reported on Wednesday. According to the study, which was conducted by Reichman University and surveyed some 2,500 families, the overwhelming majority of children under the age of seven showed symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The study found that 75 percent of reservists' children are suffering from sub-clinical levels of PTSD, while almost 32 percent of those showing signs of the condition are suffering from clinical PTSD. Daniella Weiss, Israel’s ‘settler godmother’, has a hotline to Netanyahu - and plans for Gaza Read More » The study warned that children are suffering emotionally and physiologically, adding that without proper treatment, “the cost will be borne by Israeli society for many years to come”. It is not just children who are suffering from PTSD, Reichman University said, adding that it also found that 35 percent of the fathers surveyed showed signs of PTSD, while 42 percent of mothers also suffer from different levels of trauma. After almost three years of war, the study stated, Israel has “become a nation in trauma, and the families of reservists raising young children have experienced, and continue to experience, immense hardship”. According to the study, “the situation for reservist families with young children is, at times, utter chaos”, and now Israel is facing “a tsunami of mental health problems”. While children are having trouble sleeping, wetting their beds, having violent outbursts and experiencing other problems, the study said reservists' families as a whole are suffering from the consequences of Israel's wars. “Approximately 80 percent of parents reported a significant deterioration in every aspect of their lives,” the study said. Media Tel Aviv, Israel News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0