Israel will work to make sure that Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference on Sunday.
He pointed to Hezbollah in Lebanon as the second most dangerous threat facing the Jewish state, warning the Iran-backed terrorist organization has an arsenal of missiles capable of reaching deep into Israel – but added measures were taken on that front as well.
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Netanyahu addressed the annual event in a video message through satellite uplink, with the annual gathering being held hours before Israelis headed to the polling stations for the third time in less than a year on Monday morning.
He praised the Trump administration's Middle East peace plan, saying it opened the door to a political settlement with the Palestinians and normalization with Arab states. Israel, he vowed, will be ready to negotiate on the basis of the plan at any moment.
Netanyahu slammed US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders without directly identifying him, accusing the senator from Vermont of trying to break up the alliance between Israel and the US.
He said Sanders' accusations that AIPAC provides a platform for bigotry were "libelous."
Earlier Sunday, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon also lambasted Sanders while addressing the pro-Israel group in Washington.
"We don't want Sanders at AIPAC. We don't want him in Israel. Anyone who calls our prime minister a 'racist' is either a liar, an ignorant fool or both," Danon said.
Sanders, who recently called Netanyahu a "reactionary racist," has emerged as a frontrunner in the Democratic presidential race. Sanders said last month he would be skipping the AIPAC event because the pro-Israel lobby hosts "leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights."
Netanyahu likened Sanders' remarks to those of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who faced a backlash last year when she criticized lobbies that "push for allegiance to a foreign country."
"We were all reminded a few days ago that there are forces who seek to break our alliance," Netanyahu said on Sunday. "Last year, those who came to AIPAC were accused of dual loyalty. This year, AIPAC was accused of providing a platform for bigotry. These libelous charges are outrageous."
Earlier, the event saw an address by Netanyahu's political arch-rival Benny Gantz, head of the Blue and White party, who pledged that under his rule "There will be room for everyone at the Western Wall [in Jerusalem]."
Parts of this article were originally published by i24NEWS
