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Netanyahu’s Statement on Iran’s “Baal” Statue Burning On February 12, 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Iran’s state-organized burning of a “Baal” effigy during its 47th Islamic Revolution anniversary rallies by stating, “Iran burned the statue of Baal to declare war on us. We are watching what is happening.” His comment frames the symbolic act not as mere political theater, but as a direct ideological and existential provocation against Israel.

The statue, depicted with a bull’s head and adorned with the Star of David, images of U.S. President Donald Trump, and the number “666,” was publicly torched in Tehran’s Azadi Square and other cities. Organizers linked the ritual to recently released U.S. Justice Department documents on Jeffrey Epstein, reviving conspiracy theories that associate Western elites with ancient pagan practices and child sacrifice—symbolized by Baal and Moloch in religious texts.

Netanyahu’s phrasing suggests he interprets the burning not only as an anti-Israel demonstration but as a coded declaration of spiritual and political warfare, using religious symbolism to delegitimize and demonize Israel and its allies. By invoking “Baal”—a deity historically opposed by biblical Israel—he implies that Iran is positioning itself as a modern-day adversary of Jewish identity and monotheism, aligning Israel’s enemies with ancient idolatry and moral corruption.