Netanyahu Receives Hero’s Welcome at Site of Impact: ‘Bibi, King of Israel’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a hero’s welcome from locals as he visited the site of a deadly Iranian missile strike in the city of Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, on Sunday.

“Bibi, King of Israel,” a crowd sang, playing on the words of a popular Jewish folk song, “David, King of Israel.”

Netanyahu inspected the carnage at an apartment building where an Iranian ballistic missile that evaded Israel’s air defenses killed nine people, including three children, and wounded scores more overnight Saturday into Sunday.

He said in a statement (translated from Hebrew by the Government Press Office):

I am here in Bat Yam with IDF Home Front Command units and rescue forces/ On behalf of the people of Israel, I express sorrow over the loss of life that occurred here. Our hearts are with the families.

It is important to – and we must – adhere to the directives of the Home Front Command because whoever listened to, and carried out, the Home Front Command directives, and was in a protected space – was saved. Whoever was not, to our regret, was hit.

We are here because we are in an existential campaign, which is clear today to all citizens of Israel. Think of what could happen if Iran had atomic weapons to drop on Israeli cities.

Think of what could happen if Iran had 20,000 such missiles. Not one, but 20,000. This would be an existential threat to Israel. Therefore, we set out on a war of salvation against a double threat of annihilation, and we are doing so powerfully. Our soldiers, our pilots are in the skies over Iran. Iran will pay a very heavy price for deliberately murdering our citizens, women and children. We will also achieve our objectives and we will also strike them forcefully. They will feel the might of our arm.

Until then, and in the midst of this war, I ask you, citizens of Israel, adhere to the directives of Home Front Command. It will save your lives.

“Take good heed unto yourselves.” (Deuteronomy 4:15) Watch your souls, your bodies and your lives – and together, with G-d’s help, we will win. We are on the road to victory.

Israeli society has been deeply divided over Netanyahu’s role in recent years, but even his opponents have praised his leadership in the fight against Iran, as well as the fight against Hezbollah last summer and fall.

Most of the Iranian missiles have been intercepted, but several have made impact on Israeli civilian homes.