Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured on Monday, warned that Israel is facing a global "isolation" that could last for years. Debbie Hill/Pool/Reuters

With global anger mounting over the nearly two-year war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Israel is facing a “kind of isolation” that could last for years, and has no choice but to stand on its own.

Speaking at a finance ministry conference, Netanyahu said Israel’s economy would need to adapt to “autarkic characteristics” – becoming more self-sufficient and less reliant on external trade.

“It’s a word I hate,” Netanyahu said, adding that it was he who had brought a “free-market revolution to Israel.”

One of the key industries facing isolation is weapons trade, he said, which may force I

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