In an interview published on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw about the horrors of October 7, the Iran threat, and the role played by the Jewish State in "defend[ing] Western civilization against the barbarians."
"On the second day of the war," Netanyahu told McGraw, "I knew we were not only dealing with Hamas or Hezbollah, we were dealing with Iran... we knew that we had to prevent Iran from racing to produce nuclear weapons."
The prime minister also lauded US President Donald Trump for his aid to Israel during the war, expressing appreciation for Trump's "clarity, his resolution, his willingness to contribute where America alone could contribute... the combined effect of Israel backed by President Trump and the United States, I think, has changed the Middle East."
Finally, Netanyahu told McGraw - a practicing Christian - that "Israel is "the only safe place [in the Middle East] for Christians... Christian Arabs [in Israel] are thriving... they serve in the [Israeli] army."
Netanyahu is a seasoned podcast guest
This is not the prime minister's first appearance on a podcast in recent years, nor is it his first interview with McGraw. In May 2024, Netanyahu appeared on the Dr. Phil Primetime show, where he discussed his relationship with then-President Biden as well as the widespread protests on US university campuses against the war in Gaza.
In July and August 2025, Netanyahu sat for interviews on several independent podcasts hosted by conservative-leaning figures, including the Full Send Podcast, Patrick Bet-David's PBD Podcast, and the British podcast Triggernometry.