Benjamin Netanyahu bemoans postponement of son’s wedding due to Iran war

Israeli Prime Minister's remarks derided by some and seen as an attempt to personalise national struggle by others

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war with Iran has reached into his own household, disclosing that his son’s wedding had to be postponed.

“This war has not spared my family either,” he said in a televised address at the location of a missile attack that devastated the area.

“This is the second time my son, Avner, has been sent away, due to a threat from the sea and missile warnings. His wedding had to be postponed – clearly, a very personal cost.”

Mr Netanyahu's comments came as Israel grapples with rising casualties and mounting pressure on the home front. Around him were hundreds of Israelis whose homes had been damaged, while dozens were injured.

Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran last Friday, killing hundreds of Iranians. In response, Tehran fired missiles at Israeli targets and residential areas, killing at least 24 people, injuring dozens more and causing widespread destruction.

Mr Netanyahu, who has long cast himself as a wartime leader, appeared to be appealing to a sense of collective sacrifice.

Though some Israelis saw Mr Netanyahu’s remarks as an attempt to personalise the national struggle, many others derided them as misplaced and self-serving.

“I know many families who were not forced to postpone a wedding, but who will now never celebrate the weddings that were once meant to take place,” said Gilad Kariv, a Knesset member.