New York: In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the contrasting situations of restoring relations with Arab countries and the aggressive stance of Iran.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu opened his address by stating that he did not wish to attend the UN meeting during wartime, but felt obligated to present Israel’s “truth” to the world. He harshly criticized Iran, stating that if Israel is attacked, it would respond with double the force, emphasizing that there is no place in Iran that is out of reach for Israel.
During his speech, he held up two maps: one titled “Curse,” depicting Iran, and the other titled “Blessing,” illustrating Israel’s relations with Arab nations.
Netanyahu remarked, “My country, Israel, stands between the curse of Iran’s vile intentions and the blessing of restored Arab-Jewish relations. The world must choose between Iran’s war or peace agreements with Arab countries.”
He stressed the importance of a historic peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, stating that this restoration of relations would enhance tourism, trade, energy, and artificial intelligence among other sectors. He noted that the peace agreement would serve as a genuine axis of history between Riyadh and Jerusalem.
Netanyahu further asserted that the best way to thwart Iran’s aggressive ambitions is to expand the blessings of peace with the support and guidance of the United States. He posed a question to the attendees: “What will you choose? To stand with Israel and democracy or to support Iran and its tyranny?”
Regarding allegations of genocide and international court rulings, Netanyahu described these as a “moral dilemma,” affirming, “Yes, we are defending ourselves in Gaza, but we are also defending against a common enemy.”
He rejected claims that aid shipments were being obstructed, stating, “We do not want to see a single innocent person die; it is always a tragedy.”
On the casualties of airstrikes, the Israeli Prime Minister mentioned that they had dropped warning flyers and sent text messages to keep Palestinian civilians away from attack sites, challenging critics to provide instances where this was not done.
It is noteworthy that during Netanyahu’s speech at the UN, Hamas called for other nations to walk out in protest. Representatives from several countries, including Pakistan, left the assembly as Netanyahu took the stage.
Since the start of Israeli airstrikes on October 7, the number of Palestinians reported killed has exceeded 42,000, with over 94,000 injured, half of whom are women and children.
