Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked me, a classical historian, this question 10 years ago when we met at a national prize ceremony. A decade later, he seems to have found them.
“We Jews are still here, but where are the ancient Greeks?”
“We Jews are still here, but where are the ancient Greeks?”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked me, a classical historian, this question 10 years ago when we met at a national prize ceremony. A decade later, he seems to have found them.
Last week, Netanyahu invoked the ancient Greeks in delivering a stark warning to his country. Citing Europe’s growing hostility, the influence of militant Muslim minorities on European foreign policy, and what he described as Qatari-funded disinformation campaigns on social media, Netanyahu argued that Israel faces creeping international isolation. His solution: prepare for a new economic and strategic reality.
“We will need to adapt to an economy with autarkic features,” he declared. “I am a supporter of free markets, but to survive, we must ensure the capacity to produce what is necessary for national security, especially weapons. We are Athens and Sparta—and perhaps a Super-Sparta.
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