Netanyahu referred to the United Nations as a "house of darkness."

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Reuters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the United Nations as a "house of darkness" in his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday. He criticized the UN for its anti-Semitic bias, stating that most resolutions in the past decade against Israel were inhumane. He labeled this as hypocrisy, double standards, and a farce.

Netanyahu further stated that war criminals are present in Iran, Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon. He emphasized that when Israelis are killed, no one lifts a finger to defend them. He declared that Israel will win this war, as there is no alternative.

He began his address by justifying his presence at the UN, stating that he did not want to come but felt compelled to respond to falsehoods and slanders from other world leaders.

In his speech, Netanyahu compared the Hamas attack on October 7 to the Holocaust and spoke about efforts to retrieve hostages held by Hamas. He did not comment on the ceasefire in Lebanon but threatened Iran, stating that Israel could strike anywhere in Iran. He insisted that Israel would fight until Hamas is eliminated and called for Hamas to surrender.

Regarding the Gaza conflict, he mentioned that Israel is not seeking rehabilitation but rather demilitarization and a radicalism-free zone. He expressed Israel's readiness to work with regional leaders, provided they demonstrate peaceful coexistence, but emphasized that Israel would never accept Hamas.

Netanyahu posed a question to the audience: Would they stand with Israel, democracy, and peace, or with Iran? He stressed that Israel would not rest until Jewish settlers are safe from Hezbollah attacks. He mentioned that nearly half of Hamas's 40,000 soldiers have been killed or captured, and 90% of their rockets have been destroyed.

Threatening Iran, Netanyahu stated that if Iran attacks, Israel would retaliate. He called for the UN to impose sanctions on Iran and vowed that Israel would never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. He also spoke of defeating Hamas and Hezbollah.

Later, he criticized the UN, reiterating that it is a "house of darkness" and advocated for viewing Israel on equal footing with other nations. Many world leaders walked out of the General Assembly in protest of Netanyahu's speech.