Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech aimed directly at the Iranian people on Friday evening, urging them to rise up against their oppressive government and to demand their freedom.
The message came hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a surprise preemptive strike on Iranian military leaders and Iran’s nuclear sites.
Netanyahu has addressed the Iranian people before, but this could prove the most consequential speech, with the Iranian regime in disarray after the shock of the Israeli attack.
He said:
We are in the midst of one of the greatest military operations in history, Operation Rising Lion.
The Islamic regime, which has oppressed you for almost 50 years, threatens to destroy our country, the State of Israel. The objective of Israel’s operation is to thwart the Islamic regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat to us. As we achieve our objective, we are also clearing the path for you to achieve your freedom.
In the past 24 hours, we have taken out top military commanders, senior nuclear scientists, the Islamic regime’s most significant enrichment facility and a large portion of its ballistic missile arsenal. More is on the way. The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker.
This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard.
Woman, Life, Freedom
Zan, Zendegi, AzadiAs I said yesterday and many times before, Israel’s fight is not against the Iranian people. Our fight is against the murderous Islamic regime that oppresses and impoverishes you.
The nation of Iran and the nation of Israel have been friends since the days of Cyrus the Great. The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from the evil and oppressive regime.
Mar-do-me sh-ja-ee Iran, noor bar tariki piruz ast.
Brave people of Iran, light defeats the darkness.
It is not clear how many Iranians will be able to see the speech, given that Iran has blocked Internet access.
Many are urging Elon Musk to offer Starlink to Iranians to allow them to evade the regime’s censorship.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of Trump 2.0: The Most Dramatic ‘First 100 Days’ in Presidential History, available for Amazon Kindle. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
