During a diplomatic visit to Washington last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat down with American political commentator Mark Levin on Fox News’ “Life, Liberty & Levin” for a wide-ranging interview that aired on Saturday evening.
The discussion highlighted the urgency of joint Israel-U.S. action against Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, praised President Donald Trump’s leadership and looked forward to the possibilities of peace and prosperity in the Middle East.
Netanyahu explained that the Jewish state confronted the Iranian regime “because we knew that if we didn’t, we’d end up dead,” as Tehran was “rushing” to develop nuclear weapons.
He continued, “They could have had one within a year. They were rushing to develop thousands, tens of thousands of ballistic missiles, each weighing a ton, coming down at Mach 8—that’s eight times the speed of sound. It’s like a bus full of explosives, with unbelievable devastation. If you have 20,000 of those targeting a country the size of New Jersey, you don’t survive that.
“So we had to act,” the prime minister said. “It’s like taking out two lumps of cancer. Now, you know the cancer can come back, but if you don’t act, you’re not going to be around. So we did it, and there was great unity of purpose. It wasn’t easy—a tough decision. But I could do it because, for 40 years, I’ve been talking about this threat, and I knew that if we didn’t act now, we might never act again.”
He revealed that covert operations over the past four decades had delayed Iran’s nuclear progress by roughly a decade, including targeted actions against scientists and infrastructure. Netanyahu said that Israel’s recent military successes had “smashed the Iran axis,” weakened proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and disrupted Iran’s regional strategy.
“We didn’t go through 3,500 years of Jewish history—the great odyssey in which we lost our land, were dispersed among the nations, and then came back, ingathered the exiles, and rebuilt our independence in our ancestral homeland—just for it to end because of these mad ayatollahs who chant ‘Death to Israel, death to America.’
“They want to destroy us so they can conquer the Middle East and then go after you. We were not going to let that happen, and as the prime minister of the one and only Jewish state, I wasn’t about to let it happen. So we made the decision to act, and we acted, and we won.”
However, Netanyahu cautioned, “It’s not over; it’s never over.”
Netanyahu underscored the unparalleled importance of the U.S.-Israel partnership, especially under Trump.
“We’ve never had a friend like him in the White House … he really is remarkable,” Netanyahu said, crediting Trump with clear-eyed support for Israel’s security and a willingness to act decisively against Iran.
He described unprecedented teamwork between the allies, saying, “No daylight between Israel and the United States … teamwork that has never been seen.”
Netanyahu also praised Trump’s efforts in advancing regional peace, including the Abraham Accords, and said, “If anyone deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, it’s President Trump.”
Netanyahu described Iran’s leadership as fundamentally hostile. “Their DNA is what you describe, so unless you get an exceptional deal—no enrichment, as President Trump and I say, no ballistic missiles that could reach your shores, only what is allowed under international treaties, that is, 300 miles, and no terror axis.
“Give me these three conditions, and it’s a different regime if it agrees to them. If it doesn’t, just keep them at bay and let things unfold inside Iran.
“I’m telling you, Mark, and I’m telling your audience—this regime is in deep trouble. A Middle East without Iran, a Middle East with Israel and our Arab partners, offers possibilities for economic cooperation, technological cooperation, energy cooperation, AI, tourism, trade. It’s a different world,” Netanyahu said.
“I don’t see the world through rose-colored spectacles; I see reality. We’ve won a great victory, and that can produce tremendous growth. The victory of the Allies over the Nazis produced tremendous growth for the West and Europe. That’s happening right now, but nothing is guaranteed unless you safeguard your success.”
