20 June 2025 : Amid the heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘personal loss for family’ remarks over his son’s wedding have sparked widespread criticism.
The remark, which was made outside Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva after an Iranian missile hit it, is being called out of touch by many Israelis.
While speaking to the media after the hospital strike, Netanyahu tried to draw a parallel between Israel’s current crisis and Britain’s resilience during the WWII Blitz. “We are going through a Blitz,” he said, invoking the wartime spirit of endurance.
Then he went on to see that his son Avner’s wedding had to be delayed for a second time due to missile and rocket concerns amid conflict with Iran.
Netanyahu further described the situation as painful for both his son’s fiancée and his wife, Sara, whom he called “a hero” for enduring the disappointment.
“There are people who were killed, families who grieved loved ones, I really appreciate that,” Netanyahu said. “Each of us bears a personal cost, and my family has not been exempt.”
Soroka hospital strike
Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran on Thursday while Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel after hitting Israel’s Soroka Hospital overnight.
The strike in the southern city of Beersheba caused extensive damage to the hospital’s entrance hall and several departments, including the ophthalmology unit on the third floor of the surgical building.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz blamed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for Thursday’s barrage and said the military “has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist.”
Meanwhile, the White House said US President Donald Trump will make a decision within the next two weeks whether to get involved on Israel’s side.
Israel-Iran conflict: Tehran backs negotitaition
Israel and Iran’s air war entered a second week on Friday, and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks.
Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Summary: Israeli PM Netanyahu faced backlash after citing his son’s postponed wedding as a personal sacrifice of war, sparking criticism over insensitivity.