Netanyahu: Israel should prepare for economic isolation

Israel will have to be ready to deal with attempts at isolation amid the growing international pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"We will increasingly have to adapt to an economy with autarkic features," Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The PM said he believes in free markets and recalled that he worked to bring Israel a free-market revolution.

"But we may find ourselves in a situation where our defense industries are blocked. We will have to develop indigenous defense industries," Benjamin Netanyahu said.

According to him, Israel is now faced with a "new and difficult diplomatic reality" in the global arena. One of the reasons, in his words, is the situation in Western Europe where pro-Palestinian minorities are exerting pressure on the government of their countries over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. According to him, Qatar and China are also waging an information war against Israel with the use of advanced technologies.

In such an environment, Israel will have to rely on domestic resources, like Ancient Greek city-states, he noted.

"We will have to become Athens and super-Sparta. We have no choice," Benjamin Netanyahu said.