At a ceremony commemorating the 4oth anniversary of the Yom Kippur War last Sunday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew parallels between the past and the present crises. The Prime Minster stated that, despite faltering leadership, Israel stayed strong and prevailed over their adversaries. The same thing can happen today with Syria and Iran, he said. “But we cannot be content with that. It is the duty of the leadership to be strong. It must see the strategic arena in full. Sometimes it must choose between bad and worse, and it must ensure the survival of the state of Israel. That is the true basis of our deterrence and that is the basis of our existence.”

“We signed a peace agreement with Egypt and Jordan, and we are trying to reach an accord with the Palestinians.” However, he said, “We are in the middle of a regional earthquake the likes of which has not been seen since the establishment of Israel: missiles, and cyber, and weapons of mass destruction.”

Regarding the agreements between the US and Russia regarding Syria’s chemical arsenal, Netanyahu stated:“We hope that the understandings between Russia and Syria bear fruit, and that indeed, they stand the test of the result: the complete destruction of all of the stores of the chemical weapons that the Syrian regime has used against its citizens.”

“The test of the result also applies to the diplomatic efforts by the international community to stop Iran’s nuclear arming,” he added. “Here, too – words will not be what determines things, but deeds and results. Israel has to be ready to defend itself, by itself, against every threat, and this preparedness is more important now than it has ever been,” Netanyahu said.

In short, Netanyahu was emulating President Teddy Roosevelt: “Speak softly, but carry a big stick.”