'Evil will overcome good...': Netanyahu’s 'Jesus vs Genghis Khan' quote sparks global backlash. Here is what he said

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu caused a major furore on Thursday night when he said "Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan" in a televised address. He has now issued a clarification, saying he “did not denigrate Jesus Christ” and that he was merely quoting historian Will Durant, Times of Israel reported. “History proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan. Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good. Aggression will overcome moderation," Netanyahu said in the address. He quickly faced backlash for his choice of words, with critics slamming him for suggesting that those who possess the most power determine what is "right." The PM responded in an X post, "A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival,” the post reads. “A morally superior civilisation may still fall to a ruthless enemy if it does not have the power to defend itself.”

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Netanyahu slammed for suggesting “might makes everything right”

“Israel’s already fighting the global optics war, and the PM decides to drop ‘might makes right, Jesus who?’ in the middle of it," Mario Nawfal, a Dubai-based entrepreneur, wrote, also saying, "that’s not a flex, that’s a facepalm on steroids." In the same address, Netanyahu said that the war with Iran could end "a lot faster than people think." He also mentioned that the current leader of Iran is missing and that he is "not sure who’s running Iran right now", since Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named the new Supreme Leader, "has not shown his face".

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‘I am alive,’ says Netanyahu

Netanyahu started the address by saying, “I’m alive, and you’re all witnesses." There has been a lot of speculation about whether he was alive or not since the war started. He posted a video from a coffee shop, which people claimed could be AI-generated. He used the press conference to debunk all those rumours. The PM then gave an update on the ongoing war with Iran, saying, "We are winning, and Iran is being decimated. This war is ending a lot faster than people think."

Attack on Iran gas field

He also denied that Israel dragged the US into the war. "Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?" he told reporters. Netanyahu also clarified that Israel acted on its own in the strike on an Iranian gas field. In response, Tehran hit Qatar's main gas hub, which caused panic and sent oil prices soaring. US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that Israel attacked the Asaluyeh gas compound alone, and he had told them to refrain from hitting gas fields again.