If Iran’s rulers were working to destroy your countries, perhaps you’d be less enthusiastic the about the deal. Power and Secretary of State John Kerry are both in New York, but Power’s spokeswoman, Hagar Chemali, said they had to join a video conference call with Obama that ended up coinciding with the Israeli speech.
Advertisement
In a statement the opposition politician said that history has shown that Netanyahu’s speeches are irrelevant, as seen by the Iranian nuclear deal. “[Iran] continues to spend billions of dollars on technological and weapon advances”. During a raid on one Hezbollah agent’s apartment in Cyprus, security forces found the same amount of ammonium nitrate as was used in the 1995 Oklahoma bombing attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which killed 168 people and injured 680. Netanyahu also said that Israel is committed to maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount and protecting freedom of religion.
The rapacious tiger, played by Iran, won’t be turned into a kitten by the Iran deal and unchaining it from worldwide sanctions, Netanyahu said. “It will definitely fuel more aggression outside Iran”.
Iran says it has no interest in such weapons.
“When bad behaviour is rewarded it only gets worse”, he added, although he acknowledged the deal places “several constraints on Iran’s nuclear program and rightly so”.
It was Netanyahu’s first major address since the Iran deal survived Congress, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“And now another regime has arisen, swearing to destroy Israel“, he said, referring to Iran.
“And what is the response from the rest of the world to that?” Utter silence. Deafening silence.
Citing various examples of Iran’s belligerence toward Israel, at one point the prime minister paused for what seemed like a full minute, staring out at representatives that he accused of remaining silent.
Quotable quote (2): “The days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies – those days are over”. We have, we are, and we will continue to defend ourselves.
The Israeli leader asked the member states of the General Assembly, most of which have congratulated the negotiating parties on the deal reached in July, to check their enthusiasm for the agreement at the door. In the middle ages, we faced inquisition, and expulsion, and in modern times we faced pogroms and the holocaust.
Benjamin Netanyahu took to the podium today at the UN’s annual General Assembly.
He also implored the U.N.to closely watch Iran, saying, “Make sure Iran’s violations aren’t swept under the Persian rug”. But Netanyahu praised the United States, and President Barack Obama, for supporting Israel.
Advertisement
But Netanyahu called on Abbas to accept his offer and engage in direct negotiations with Israel, without preconditions. Abbas has since publicly acknowledged that the Palestine Authority doesn’t have to adhere to Israel. He went on to blame Abbas for not being prepared, remains open to finding a solution. “That would place a militant Islamic terror regime weeks away from having the fissile material for an entire arsenal of nuclear bombs”, he said. I know it’s hard.
