Israeli government spokesman Avi Hyman told Newsmax Monday that as “appreciative” as Israel is of the support it has received from the Biden administration and the American people, after the Iranian attack on Saturday, the Jewish state will do what it feels is necessary to protect its people.
“We have to be clear about this: We're very appreciative of our support, the support that we've gotten from the administration and the support of the American people,” Hyman said during an appearance on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.”
“Ultimately 82% of Americans support Israel's just war for freedom” Hyman continued. “But we will do what we have to do. We are a sovereign nation state and it was our children, it was our babies that we were grabbing as we ran to the bomb shelters on Saturday night, and we will pay any consequences of any additional escalation from Iran.
"People forget, they think it's a one-off attack. No, Iran is behind Hezbollah, Iran is behind Hamas, Iran is behind the Houthies and the other Shia militias that have been attacking us since Oct. 7.”
As revenge for the alleged Israeli killing of a top Quds Force commander in Damascus earlier this month, Iran and its terror proxies launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night, with most of them shot down by Israel and its military allies.
When asked how Israel plans to respond, Hyman said, “How do we respond? How would any country respond to 300 suicide drones? To ballistic missiles? To cruise missiles being shot at our families, at our friends, at our loved ones?
"We will respond in the best possible way, with a cool head, with planning, if and when we decide to respond. That's what I can tell you at the moment.”
Addressing a New York Times suggestion that Iran was merely putting on a show of force and did not want a full-fledged war with Israel, Hyman said the idea is “incredible cognitive gymnastics.”
“I'm not sure how they got to that conclusion at all,” he said. “What I can tell you is that Iran was clearly, clearly trying to harm, kill, maim Israeli men, women and children. They sent 300 suicide drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Where were they sending them? I mean, we know where they were sending them because they were exploded in a Star Wars-like spectacle over our heads, thank God."
“If it wasn't for the fact that we have such a strong air defense program, if it wasn't for the Iron Dome, which was built together with the Americans, and if it wasn't for our support from our strategic allies, we would have woken up to a very, very different reality, had Iran warned or not, had the news broken before or not,” Hyman added. “So, we say thank goodness that we woke up on Sunday morning after that attack. And no other country on earth would just turn the other cheek and look forward after that.”
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Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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