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Netanyahu attacks ‘hypocrite' UN, calls it ‘antisemitic swamp’ for singling out Israel
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN that his country is “fighting for its life” and asserted that Hamas needs to be stopped.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, and asserted that Israel is seeking peace and is fighting for its life against “savage enemies” who want to annihilate the country.
In his strongly worded address, Netanyahu said that Hamas has “got to go”, and that Israel would have no part in reconstructing Gaza as the country has vowed to fight till “total victory”. Addressing the gathering at UN's New York headquarters, the Israel PM said, ""If Hamas stays in power, it will regroup... and attack Israel again and again and again... So Hamas has got to go."
“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 said, asserting that Israel is at war and won't back down.
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While speaking about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah, the Israeli PM said that there is “no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach.”
"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, as some delegates, including Iranians walked out of the assembly.
“I have another message for this assembly and for the world outside this hall: We are winning,” he said, in a strong show of strength.
“Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that's exactly what we're doing ... we'll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met," he said.
The Israel leader posed a question for the United States government - “Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns ... How long would the American government tolerate that?”
“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 levelled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight.”
He claimed that Israel has destroyed 90 percent of Hamas rockets, and captured or killed half of its forces. Netanyahu said that Israel will be willing to stop the war if Hamas lays down its weapons and surrenders, returning all the hostages safely.
“But if they don't – if they don't – we will fight until we achieve total victory. Total victory. There is no substitute for it,” he said.
Attacking the United Nations, Netanyahu blasted the assembly for “singling out” Israel during the war. Calling the UNGA “hypocrite”, the Israel PM called the singling out of Israel a “moral stain on the United Nations,” terming it as an “antisemitic swamp”, as quoted by Times of Israel.
