Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly on Friday that Israel would continue fighting terror — even if the leaders of western nations caved under pressure from extremists.
Netanyahu approached the rostrum wearing a large pin with a QR code that linked to a presentation about the terror attack of October 7, 2023. Outside, since the night before, Israel had placed large billboard ads in Times Square urging the world not to forget October 7.
Before he could begin, several nations — mostly Muslim nations — walked out of the hall, as Israel and its allies gave Netanyahu a sustained standing ovation.
Netanyahu began by recounting Israel’s success against Iran and its proxies since the last United Nations General Assembly opening a year ago, when he ordered the pager attacks against Hizbullah operatives in Lebanon before taking the state in New York. He noted that Israel had fought Iran’s proxies throughout the Middle East and triumphed over Iran itself in the 12 Day War, taking out much of its nuclear infrastructure.
“Israel rebounded from its darkest day to deliver one of the most stunning military comebacks in history,” he said. But he added that Israel had more to do.
He addressed the hostages directly, in Hebrew and then in English, noting that Israel had placed loudspeakers near the Gaza border to carry his address, in the hope that they would hear him. “We have not forgotten you, not even for a second,” he said.
He added that Israel was also streaming the speech live through mobile phones in Gaza, so that everyone in the territory would hear his message to the hostages, as well as his demand that Hamas release all 48 remaining hostages now.
Netanyahu later turned to the nations that had opposed Israel’s war against Hamas, particularly by accusing Israel falsely of “genocide,” or by choosing to recognize a Palestinian state with Hamas still holding hostages.
“When the going got tough,” he said, “you caved.” He said that even though Israel was defending western civilization against terror, often against terrorists who had murdered and kidnapped the citizens of other nations in the hall, many of those same nations had succumbed to Hamas propaganda against Israel.
He said the false accusations against Israel reprised antisemitic blood libels of the medieval era.
“Thankfully, the government of President Donald Trump is fighting antisemitism. And every government here should follow its lead.”
He said that those leaders who had chosen to recognize a Palestinian state sent the message that “murdering Jews pays off.” He said that the result would be the spread of terrorism beyond Israel, and Jews, to everyone.
While those leaders talked about a two-state solution, the “uncomfortable truth” was that the conflict was driven by Palestinian rejection of “the presence and existence of a Jewish state.”
He added that “Christians don’t fare much better” under Palestinian rule, noting the dwindling of the Christian population of Bethlehem under the Palestinian Authority.
“Israel will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats … because you don’t have the guts to face down a hostile media and antisemitic mobs demanding Israel’s blood,” he said.
He said that his view opposing a Palestinian state was not a “fringe” view, but the view of over 90% of Israelis.
He guaranteed that Israel would not buckle under pressure, as western leaders had.
Instead, he said, Israel would fight terror — and would seek agreements with its neighbors, as it is seeking an agreement with the new Syrian leader, Ahmed Al Sharaa. He invited Lebanon to negotiate with Israel as well.
He praised the speech of Indonesia’s president earlier in the week, who called for security for Israel and peace with the Jewish state. He also said that the people of Iran would rise up against the Iranian regime: “They will make Iran great again.”
He praised the Israeli soldiers on the front lines, adding: “With God’s help, that strength and that resolve will lead us to a speedy victory, and to a brilliant future of prosperity and peace.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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