Netanyahu equates Iranian regime to ancient biblical foe

ISTANBUL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced a Torah command equating the Iranian regime to an ancient biblical foe on Sunday.​​​​​​​

During a visit to a site struck by an Iranian missile, Netanyahu stated: "We read in this week's Torah portion, 'Remember what Amalek did to you.’ We remember—and we act."

The Amalekites are identified in the Hebrew Bible as a persistent adversary of the Israelites, linked to a Torah commandment to erase their memory. Specifically, 1 Samuel 15:3 — which mandates the killing of men, women, and infants — has faced international scrutiny for its genocidal language. This biblical rhetoric gained renewed attention in October 2023, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked the "Amalek" narrative in reference to Hamas during operations in Gaza.

On Oct.13, 2023, during the swearing-in of Israel's emergency unity government, Netanyahu stated: "Today, against the enemy, with the ancient command ‘Remember what Amalek did to you’ ringing in our ears, today we are uniting forces in order to ensure the eternity of Israel."

As the ground invasion of Gaza began on Oct. 28, 2023, he told IDF soldiers: "You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible. And we do remember."

The remarks drew international backlash for potentially implying total eradication, were cited in the genocide case opened by South Africa in the International Court of Justice, and were defended by Netanyahu as referring to historical threats, such as the Nazis.