Shafaq News – Middle East

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Israel is sliding into isolation and may be forced to adopt a self-reliant “super-Sparta” economy.

Speaking at the Finance Ministry’s Accountant General Conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu admitted that Israel faces a “new and challenging diplomatic reality” shaped by demographic and technological shifts abroad.

“We will increasingly have to adapt to an economy with autarkic features,” he stated, noting that he supports free market, but Israel may find itself in a situation where our arms industries are blocked.

He argued that Muslim migration to Europe has created a “significant and vocal minority” influencing governments on Gaza. “They deny Zionism,” Netanyahu declared, adding that this pressure was driving sanctions against Israel and limiting its access to weapons components.

The Israeli PM also blamed the digital revolution for accelerating Israel’s isolation, pointing to China’s and Qatar’s massive investment in artificial intelligence.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid rejected Netanyahu’s remarks in a post on X, calling them “insane.” He insisted Israel’s isolation was the result of “failed and misguided policies,” accusing the government of turning the country into a “third world nation” without seeking change.

Earlier, Netanyahu held a joint press conference in Jerusalem with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where he confirmed that the strike on Hamas leaders in Doha was carried out solely by Israel and warned of further operations. He praised the US–Israel alliance as “stronger than ever,” while Rubio condemned Hamas as “agents of barbarism” and criticized European recognition of a Palestinian state as an incentive for the group.