Netanyahu Says Gaza Children Imbibe Hatred Through Their Mother’s Milk
In a CBS interview, Netanyahu alleged that hatred of Jews is instilled in Gaza from infancy, called for its “deradicalization” and portrayed Israel’s war as part of a wider struggle against Islamic fundamentalism.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Gaza has “suicide kindergarten camps” and alleged that children absorb hatred of Jews through their mother’s milk, as he defended Israel’s military campaign in a CBS News interview.
Speaking to interviewer Tony Dokoupil, Netanyahu made the allegations while arguing that disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza would have to be accompanied by ideological change.
He presented those conditions as necessary to prevent another attack and establish peace.
“They imbibe with their mother’s milk this hatred, this insane hatred for Jews and for Israel, and, by the way, for Americans too,” he said.
David and Goliath
Netanyahu cast the conflict as part of a wider confrontation extending beyond Gaza, portraying Israel as an outmatched defender against a global ideological threat.
“Israel is the David here fighting this Goliath of global Islamic fundamentalism that seeks death to Israel, death to America, that’s what they chant, death to everything in between.”
He accused social media campaigns of vilifying Israel and said some audiences had accepted that portrayal.
His account linked Israel’s military objectives to what he described as threats against the U.S. and the wider West.
Discussing Iran, Netanyahu argued that Israel stood in the way of Tehran’s regional ambitions, while alleging that America was its ultimate target.
Conditions for Gaza’s Future
The demand for ideological change reprises a position Netanyahu has advanced since the war began following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
In a December 2023 Wall Street Journal opinion article, he made dismantling Hamas, demilitarizing Gaza, and changing Palestinian society prerequisites for peace.
He drew comparisons with Germany and Japan after World War II.
In the CBS exchange, Netanyahu again invoked Nazi Germany, arguing that leaving Hamas intact would be comparable to allowing an SS enclave to survive.
He also attributed civilian casualties to Hamas keeping people in danger at gunpoint.
No Commitment to Full Withdrawal
Dokoupil pressed Netanyahu on whether Israel intended eventually to relinquish all the territory its military held in Gaza, citing an estimate of 60%.
Netanyahu answered no, then redirected the discussion to preventing a repeat of October 7.
When Dokoupil repeated the question, he again answered no and said his immediate objective was to remove Hamas’s ability to attack.
The exchange yielded no commitment to a complete withdrawal or timetable for returning the territory to Palestinian control.
Netanyahu instead kept the discussion centered on Israel’s security objectives and his demands for Gaza’s military and ideological transformation.
Ahmet Koçak
Ahmet Koçak is a news editor at Clash Report based in Istanbul. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at Türkiye Today, helping launch the digital news platform in 2023, and spent three years as Senior Editor at Daily Sabah. His work focuses on breaking news, geopolitics, international affairs, and digital journalism.
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