Rivlin: Syria strikes ‘proved’ Israel can deal with Iran

President Reuven Rivlin says Israel’s targeting of key Iranian military facilities in Syria over the weekend “proved that we are capable of dealing with Iran.”

“We have Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south, and today we have Iran, and everyone needs to understand that Israel will not stand idly when someone tries to disrupt our state and our citizens’ daily lives,” he says while visiting pilots injured yesterday when an Israeli F-16 was downed upon its return from Syria. “We aren’t just talking about a nuclear threat, but about a state sponsor of terror.”

Rivlin says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was right to have repeatedly warned the international community of the Iranian threat over the past years, including frequent criticism of the 2015 nuclear deal signed with world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

“Everyone in all world powers and in all countries knows that we won’t be able to accept Iranian involvement on our border.”

— Michael Bachner