In a climate of increased tensions in Medium Eastthe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech atUnited Nations General Assembly which catalyzed international attention, raising important questions and eliciting mixed reactions. Netanyahu highlighted the challenges Israel is facing, particularly pointing the finger at the Iranian threat and emphatically underlining his commitment to bringing home hostages kidnapped and held by Hamas, a mission he described as “sacred”.
The attack on the UN
Netanyahu’s participation in the global assembly was shrouded in uncertainty due to ongoing tensions with Lebanon, which had already forced the prime minister to postpone his departure for New York. Despite this, he chose to speak to defend his nation from the “lies and slanders” that have been directed against Israel, reiterating Tel Aviv’s aspiration for peace and its historic ability to achieve it. During Bibi’s speech, some delegations decided to leave the room in protest. “I wasn’t planning on coming here this year. My country is at war, struggling to survive. But after hearing the lies and slander directed at my country by many people on this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight,” he said. Then the attack on the UN defined as an “anti-Semitic swamp” and an “anti-Israeli flat-earth society”: “Staying with Israel – the appeal – is in line with your values”.
The message for Hamas
The challenge to Iran
Another central aspect of Netanyahu’s intervention was his tough stance towardsIran. The prime minister issued a clear warning, arguing that Israel is ready to defend itself from any threat, highlighting the ability to achieve any objective in Iran. “I have a message for the tyrants of Iran: if you attack us, we will hit you. There is no place in Iran that we cannot reach. And this applies to the entire Middle East,” he said. “Tehran is trying to impose its radicalism far beyond the Middle East.” This statement aims to underline Israel’s firmness in protecting its national interests and security, facing Iranian allies considered a threat to regional stability. Netanyahu also illustrated, through the use of maps, the duality between what he called the “curse” and “blessing” of the Middle East; a visual representation of the region’s future potential for peace and prosperity in contrast to the networks of Iran’s allies that threaten to destabilize it.
The attack on Beirut: “The target was Nasrallah”
One of the objectives stated in the speech was to defeat Hezbollahto allow 60,000 refugees from northern Israel to return to their homes safely. Netanyahu criticized the group for failing to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which required the militants to retreat, and reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to ensuring the safety of its citizens. “Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah until all objectives are achieved,” the prime minister assured. Shortly after the conclusion of Netanyahu’s speech, in fact, Israel began to bomb Beirut in the southern suburbs, destroying – according to local sources, to be verified – six buildings. The US had been warned shortly before the raid began. The target – according to Fox News, news later confirmed by other sources – would have been the leader Nasrallah. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Hezbollah’s central headquarters, located under a residential building in Beirut’s Dahiya neighborhood, was hit. Sky News However, in Arabic he says that the supreme leader of Hezbollah would be safe. Party of God sources tell AFP the same.
As soon as he learned of the attack, Bibi left briefing with journalists at the UN headquarters. According to what leaked from the Israeli media, the green light for the operation in Beirut came from the hotel room in New York where Netanyahu was staying while waiting to speak at the UN. The prime minister’s office has announced that the return to Tel Aviv will be brought forward with a flight this evening at 8pm.
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