Israel Seeks Peace, Ready To Fight For Life – Netanyahu Tells UN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disclosed that his country is seeking peace despite fighting for its life in the face of “savage enemies” who want its annihilation.
Netanyahu said this in a speech on Friday at the U.N. General Assembly “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.”
Netanyahu spoke as Israel continued to strike Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon amid fears that the attacks could flare into an all-out regional war.
In his speech, he sought to pin blame for the conflict on Israel’s arch foe, Iran. He said Israel was defending itself against Tehran on seven fronts.
“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 to applause while some delegates, including the Iranians, walked out.
He further stated, “I have another message for this assembly and for the world outside this hall: We are winning.”
Netanyahu said, Israel “will not rest” until its residents can return to the north of the country, as fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah continues, in what some have described as Israel crossing multiple red lines.
“Israel will press on with discussions on ceasefire proposals for Lebanon in the days ahead,” Netanyahu said earlier on Friday, and Washington warned that further escalation would make it harder for civilians on both sides to return home.
Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and continued airstrikes that have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and heightened fears of a regional war.
He said the war in Gaza can end if the Iranian-backed Hamas militants, who carried out an Oct. 7 attack in Israel surrender, lay down their weapons and return hostages seized in the attack.
Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly that as long as Hezbollah “chooses the path of war”, Israel has “every right” to return its citizens to safety.
He went on to talk about recent strikes by Israeli forces, which have destroyed Hezbollah rockets and killed some of its senior commanders.
“We are committed to removing the curse of terrorism that threatens all civilised societies,” he said.
He told UN to “snap back” sanctions against Iran and do everything in their power to ensure Iran never gets nuclear weapons.
He said he has been warning the world against Iran’s nuclear programme, which he said has “delayed” it by about a decade but has not stopped it.
“For the sake of the peace and security of the entire world, we must not let that happen,” he said, in reference to Iran getting nuclear weapons.
“I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran,” he added. “If you strike us, we will strike you.”
Netanyahu referred again to the “curse of October 7” which he said began when Hamas invaded but, he added, “didn’t end there”.
He said that on 8 October, Hezbollah attacked Israel from Lebanon and since then has fired over 8,000 rockets.
He listed others who have attacked Israel including the Yemeni Houthis and said that last April, Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory.
He said there is “no place in Iran” that the “long arm” of Israel cannot reach, and “that’s true of the entire Middle East”.
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