Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday warned Iran against carrying out terror attacks against Israelis abroad, amid “concrete” threats that Israeli tourists were being targeted for killings and kidnappings in Turkey.
“We are currently witnessing Iranian attempts to attack Israelis in several overseas locations,” Bennett said at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
“The security services of the State of Israel are working to thwart attempted attacks before they are launched. We will continue to strike those who send the terrorists and those who send those who send them,” he added.
“Our new rule is: Whoever sends – pays,” he outlined, before reiterating Israel’s warning against unnecessary travel to Turkey and in particular Istanbul.
“The danger is still great. I call on the citizens of Israel to show personal responsibility and safeguard their security,” Bennett said.
Last week Israel warned Israeli tourists to leave Turkey amid a “concrete” threat of attack.
The announcement came on the heels of Israeli media reports that said that Israeli and Turkish security agencies had thwarted a multi-pronged, coordinated attack targeting Israeli tourists that included shooting sprees and abductions.
The National Security Council subsequently raised travel warnings to the highest level.
Iran has vowed to avenge the killing of an Quds Force officer last month, for which it blamed Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (C) arrives for a weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, on June 19, 2022. (ABIR SULTAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has taken dramatic steps aimed at preparing for an attack on Iran, including integrating a precision one-ton bomb in the belly of its F-35s, and updating the stealth fighter jets for long-haul flights direct to the Islamic Republic.
Bennett last week said Israel had recently adopted a “strategy change” on how to deal with Iran.
“Israel is operating against the many tentacles of Iranian terror, as it has not done in the past. The days of Iran having immunity when it strikes against Israel and spreads its terrorism via proxies, are gone. We are operating everywhere and all the time, and will continue to do so,” he said.
“In recent years Iran has crossed red lines, especially last April, months before this government came to power, when it began enriching uranium to 60% with no international response,” the prime minister said. “Israel cannot and will not accept such a situation.”