Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that recent decisions by France, Britain, Australia, Canada and other countries to recognise a Palestinian state were “a mark of shame” that rewarded “the most savage terrorists on earth.”
Netanyahu said Israel would not accept international pressure on the issue. “We will not allow you to shove a terrorist state down our throats,” he declared. “My opposition to a Palestinian state is not simply my policy or my government’s policy. It is the policy of the State of Israel and of its people.”
He said Israel’s existence had never ended efforts to destroy it but had instead given the country the ability to resist. “The rise of Israel did not mean the attempts to destroy us would end. It meant that we could fight back against those attempts. And that is exactly what Israel has done since October 7,” Netanyahu said.
Iran conflict
Netanyahu described Israel’s recent 12-day war with Iran as a turning point. “[US] President [Donald] Trump and I promised to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. And we delivered on that promise,” he said.
He urged vigilance to ensure Iran could not rebuild its nuclear programme, calling for the reinstatement of UN sanctions against Tehran.
Hamas and Gaza
Turning to the Gaza conflict, Netanyahu vowed to eliminate Hamas. “The final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City. They vow to repeat the atrocities of October 7 again and again. That is why Israel must finish the job,” he said.
Recalling the Hamas-led assault of October 7, 2023, when militants crossed into Israel and carried out “acts of unspeakable savagery,” Netanyahu accused Iran and its regional allies of tightening “a noose of death around our throats.”
