Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly on Friday as part of the annual General Debate, defending his nation's response to the Oct 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas and warning Iran against striking Israel. Netanyahu took the podium to refute what he called "untruths" heard from other leaders earlier in the week.
"I didn't intend to come here this year. My country is at war, fighting for its life," Netanyahu said. "But after I heard the lies and slanders leveled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight."
He came armed with visual aids: In his right hand, he held a map showing Iran's malign influence on the region through its proxies in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen (including Hezbollah and the Houthis); in the other hand, he was holding a map showing the potential benefit "for the betterment of the entire world," as Netanyahu put it, showing in green Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which according to Netanyahu will be part of the "landbridge connecting Israel to the Indian Ocean" via railways that will be set up once peace is fully in place with Riyadh. He said the world must choose the map of the blessing, not the map of the curse, and that the blessing will materialize eventually, despite the delay imposed on the region because of the "unspeakable atrocities" carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, which triggered the long war since. He added, "Hamas must go."
Netanyahu insisted that Israel wanted peace but issued a stark warning to Iran: "If you strike us, we will strike you." He once again blamed Iran for being behind many of the problems in the region. "We must defend ourselves against these savage murderers. Our enemies seek not only to destroy us, they seek to destroy our common civilization and return all of us to a dark age of tyranny and terror." He added, "There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that's true of the entire Middle East. Far from being lambs led to the slaughter, Israel soldiers have fought back with incredible courage," Netanyahu said even as some diplomats, including Iranians, stormed out.
The Israeli campaign in Gaza, which began in response to the Hamas attacks, has resulted in major successes for Israel despite the heavy toll on Israeli troops. But Hamas is still holding hostage more than 100 Israelis.
Video: Reaction to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he walks toward the podium at the UN on Sept. 27/ Credit: UNTV
In recent days, Israel has expanded its military operations to the border with Lebanon as Hezbollah, which joined Hamas in targeing Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, refused to stop its incessant rockets on civilians for 11 months. Israel has vowed to step up its attacks on Hezbollah until its citizens can safely return to their homes.
The United States, France, and other allies have called for an "immediate" 21-day cease-fire to allow for negotiations as fears grow that the escalating violence could lead to a full-scale war. The United Nations reports that over 90,000 people have been displaced by five days of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, bringing the total number of displaced people in Lebanon to 200,000 since the conflict began.
"I have another message for this assembly and for the world outside this hall: We are winning," Netanyahu said on the ongoing war in Gaza, adding that all Hamas has to do in order to have the Israeli campaign stop is "release all the hostages and lay down its weapons." He sent a similar message to Hezbollah, saying Israel will not relent until its residents can come back safely to their homes on the northern border.
As Netanyahu took the stage, there was enough commotion in the audience that the presiding diplomat had to shout, "Order, please."
The two speakers who preceded Netanyahu on Friday each made a point of criticizing Israel's actions. "Mr Netanyahu, stop this war now," Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said as he closed his remarks, pounding the podium. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking just before the Israeli leader, declared of Gaza: "This is not just a conflict. This is systematic slaughter of innocent people of Palestine." He thumped the rostrum to audible applause.
