Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a long sit-down interview on “60 Minutes,” and I do mean LONG.
The aired version of the interview, which was conducted by Major Garrett, lasts about 14 and a half minutes.
The complete interview runs for more than an hour beyond that, clocking in at an hour and 18-plus minutes. For those of you with the time, it can be seen here. And this is where “60 Minutes” really does a disservice to Netanyahu. This interview was wide-ranging and deeply interesting, and deserved more than a tidy little quarter hour package. Netanyahu is a consequential world leader, and hearing his perspective on things, especially considering the status of events in the Middle East, is a big deal. The other problem with the interview is that Major Garrett is just terrible. He keeps talking over Netanyahu and jumping in to ask another question, even when the prime minister is answering his questions. This can be seen in the extended interview and read in the transcript. Garrett could not shut up while getting an answer. This was not a phone conversation or a press conference, this was an interview. You are supposed to ask a question, keep quiet while the interviewee is talking, take notes, THEN ask your follow up question.
And what Netanyahu was giving out were some real, concrete answers about the reality of war, the reality of what has to happen in Iran, and the reality of why all of this matters to the United States. First off, the reality is that Israel’s perspective on Iran was permanently changed on October 7, 2023. We know Iran backed Hamas, but they had also planned for Hezbollah to jump into the war and make Israel fight on two fronts. Fortunately, Israel was able to mount a defense to keep that from happening, along with evacuating whole cities in the north to keep them from being massacred and more hostages being taken. Hezbollah has been decimated by Operation Grim Beeper and the lack of help from Iran, but that part of the fight is not over.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member