Gaining access to the man who – with the exception of Donald Trump – must be the most heavily protected individual on the planet was never going to be straightforward, but nothing could have prepared me for the ordeal to come.
uncertain
ordeal → gain → me
After being dropped off by taxi just down the road from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, my photographer and I headed for the seven-storey building a minute's drive from the Knesset in central Jerusalem.
asserted
photographer → drop → Jerusalem
We negotiated the anti-ramming bollards outside and showed our IDs as we passed through a wrought-iron gate and entered a world of scanners and X-ray machines that would put the most exacting airport screening to shame.
asserted
that → negotiate → shame
As the security checks got under way, we were surrounded by armed guards carrying MI6 assault rifles and, two hours later, I was still there as the Daily Mail photographer had all of his equipment taken apart to ensure that none of it contained explosives.
asserted
none → get → explosives
No one knows about the lethal potential of electronic devices better than the Israelis, who two years ago killed and injured hundreds of members of Hezbollah by triggering explosives concealed in pagers and walkie-talkies.
asserted
who → know → pagers
My interview with Netanyahu had been arranged for 8.30pm on Thursday, but it was past nine by the time I got to the purpose-built studio where our conversation was to take place.
asserted
conversation → arrange → place
There were more armed men, this time special forces troops, masked up and dressed in black.
asserted
time → be → black
The prime minister arrived shortly afterwards and, after a warm handshake, motioned me to a chair opposite him at the long oak table that dominated the room.
asserted
that → arrive → room
For a man who has spent the three years since the October 7 attacks negotiating one crisis after another, not least the Flydubai hijack attempt just 18 hours earlier, he looked surprisingly relaxed.
asserted
he → spend → another
Dressed in a dark suit – with an enamel badge of the Israeli flag on his lapel – and a white shirt with a royal blue tie, it was soon clear he meant business.
asserted
he → dress → business
Britain's Labour Government, he said, was behaving 'like a rogue state' and appeasing an 'Islamist Leftist alliance'.
asserted
he → say → alliance
Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to Natalie Lisbona in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail
He was referring to its decision last month to ban trade with Israeli settlements on the West Bank, which followed Keir Starmer's decision to withhold some arms licences and to recognise a Palestinian state before all of the October 7 hostages had been freed.
asserted
all → speak → hostages
He was particularly incensed by the move because it coincided with Israeli intelligence tipping off our security services about an impending Iran-sponsored 'murderous attack' on RAF Fairford.
asserted
intelligence → coincide → Fairford
'It was stopped.
asserted
It → stop → ?
It was prevented,' he said, adding that, without the intelligence Israel provided, 'it would probably have gone through and we don't know how many British lives would have been lost'.
asserted
lives → prevent → intelligence
Netanyahu insisted Israel still regarded London as an ally, but then launched an extraordinary broadside against the Government.
asserted
Israel → insist → Government
'It's mind-blowing hypocrisy, I don't know how many lives we have saved giving Britain information about impending attacks.
asserted
saved → blow → attacks
'They're appeasing, they're attacking Israel, [the country] that is fighting the terrorists in the terrorist regime that is attacking them.
asserted
that → appease → them
They appease their enemies, and they attack their protectors, really.
asserted
they → appease → protectors
That's what's happening.
asserted
what → happen → ?
It doesn't serve Britain well, it doesn't serve the world well.
asserted
it → serve → world
Netanyahu, who confirmed that he is yet to speak to Andy Burnham despite the fact the former Manchester mayor took office in July, went on to accuse Labour of bowing to domestic pressure over its approach to Israel.
asserted
mayor → confirm → Israel
And once you start appeasing, you don't stop.
asserted
you → start → ?
That's what we learn.
asserted
we → learn → what
Churchill called it the slumber of democracies.
asserted
Churchill → call → democracies
And by that he meant the democracy sort of slumbers while their enemies begin to attack them… until they hear the jarring gong of danger.
asserted
they → mean → danger
'Well, it's gonging all the way, and they still haven't woken up.'
asserted
they → gong → ?
Asked how he would characterise relations between the two countries, Netanyahu was equally forthright.
asserted
Netanyahu → ask → countries
I mean, when they appease our common enemies and attack us, it doesn't say much.
asserted
it → mean → much
'Look, we're fighting the battle, I call it the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Western civilisation against these barbarians.
asserted
I → look → barbarians
I mean, trying to glorify Hamas, trying to glorify the Islamists that have killed Britons.
asserted
that → mean → Britons
It killed Americans, it killed Israelis.
asserted
it → kill → Israelis
It killed nationals of dozens and dozens of countries.
asserted
It → kill → countries
And Israel is painted as this great devil.
asserted
Israel → paint → devil
We're a tiny country fighting here in the heart of the Middle East, not only to protect ourselves, but also to protect the modern Arab states against the Iranian domination and these murderous proxies.
asserted
We → fight → domination
'We always consider Britain as an ally, even though we have, on occasion, differences with them.
asserted
we → consider → them
Dressed in a dark suit – with an enamel badge of the Israeli flag on his lapel – and a white shirt with a royal blue tie, it was soon clear he meant business
He suggested the relationship was in danger of deteriorating to the point where the British Government, 'in order to ingratiate itself with its political base, has gone rogue.
uncertain
Government → dress → base
He argued that Labour should view the 'Islamist Leftist alliance' as 'natural adversaries'.
asserted
Labour → argue → adversaries
They hang gays, you know, they deprive women of any rights.
asserted
they → hang → rights
They murder their own people in Gaza, or Lebanon, or Iran.
asserted
They → murder → Gaza
…and 82 more, not listed.
The Aporia
