Netanyahu faces backlash for calling 'son’s twice-postponed wedding' a ‘personal cost of war’

Israeli PM Netanyahu's 'personal loss' remark sparks outrage

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing criticism for calling his son Avner’s twice-postponed wedding a “personal cost of war” and comparing the current conflict to Britain’s World War II experience, during which 40,000 people were killed in Nazi bombings.

Netanyahu made these remarks while visiting Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva after it was hit by an Iranian missile. He invoked the spirit of wartime London during the Blitz, but instead of uniting the public, his mention of his son Avner’s postponed wedding drew strong criticism online and from opponents.

Avner’s wedding was first postponed after a Hezbollah drone struck one of the Prime Minister’s private residences while he was not home. It was postponed again following the escalation of the conflict with Iran.

“It really reminds me of the British people during the Blitz. We are going through a blitz,” Netanyahu said, drawing a comparison between the Nazi bombings of Britain and the current conflict with Iran. He went on to mention the “personal cost” his family has faced, noting that Avner’s wedding had been delayed for the second time due to ongoing missile threats.

“This is the second time that my son Avner has cancelled a wedding due to missile threats. It is a personal cost for his fiancee as well, and I must say that my dear wife is a hero, and she bears a personal cost,” he said.

The wedding was drew criticism as  Israeli hostages were being held in Gaza. His remarks sparked instant backlash on social media, many called his statement tone-deaf and cut off emotionally from the daily realities of Israel and the region, after more than 17 years in office.

Gilad Kariv, a Knesset member for the Democrats, called Netanyahu a “borderless narcissist", adding that there were many families who will “now never elebrate the weddings that were once meant to take place."

Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, Tehran fired missiles and drones that hit the Soroka Hospital.