Prime Minister Yair Lapid sent a subtle warning to Iran on Monday, saying that Israel has the capacity to defend itself and counter threats.
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Speaking at the sendoff ceremony for Israel Atomic Energy Commission chief, Lapid said that "our operational arena comprises both defensive and offensive capabilities, and what some foreign news outlets tend to call 'other capabilities."
It is unclear what Lapid was referring to. Over the years foreign media have reported that Israel has atomic bombs to guarantee its survival as part of a supposedly undeclared non-civilian nuclear program with unconventional warheads. "These other capabilities keep us alive, and will continue doing so so long as our children are here with us," Lapid added, telling the officials at the commission that "we are proud of you and thank you. Israelis' lives are in good hands."
In recent weeks Iran's nuclear program has advanced significantly, with uranium enrichment essentially reaching a level that would suffice for the production of a nuclear bomb. But according to various foreign outlets, Israel has been waging a clandestine campaign to target the program, including through various sabotage efforts and assassinations.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose premiership ended in June, said at the ceremony that "last year we took decisions to prepare for the Iranian nuclear threat. We have directed a massive amount of resources to close the gaps that had been making us lose sleep." Bennett, without specifying, added: "The Iranians are moving forward but the Israeli system has been working full throttle over the past year."
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