Shamir continued:
"Mexico is twelve thousand kilometers away from us. They have no tanks pressuring our borders, no planes bombing our cities, no missiles hitting our civilians. All they can do is sever diplomatic ties, freeze relations, and curse us."
He paused.
"But if we start a fight with Mexico, those who really want to attack us—Iran, Syria, ZZD, HMS—will laugh."
The audience fell silent.
"They will say, 'Look, the Squid Men have gone mad.' They will say, 'Let them fight Mexico, and we'll watch from the sidelines.' They will say—"
He hadn't finished when a voice from the back row broke in.
"Shamir, you're scared."
Everyone turned around.
Netanyahu stood up, walked from the back row into the aisle, and step by step approached the platform.
He looked up at Shamir.
"You're afraid of Victor. You're afraid of Mexico. You're afraid of war."
Shamir looked at him, saying nothing.
Netanyahu turned around to face all the legislators.
