Netanyahu: Iran's Nuclear Agreement Increases Likelihood of War

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, dedicated a significant portion of his speech at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, October 1, to opposing the nuclear agreement with Iran, stating that Israel "will never allow Iran to join the club of nuclear-armed countries." In his speech, Netanyahu said that his country will scrutinize Iran more closely than ever before. According to him, the nuclear agreement with Iran, contrary to what world leaders claim, "does not lead to peace but rather increases the likelihood of war," and Iran's behavior and statements "will not change." The Israeli Prime Minister likened Iran to a "roaring lion" and noted that the global community's response is akin to saying, "God willing, it's a cat." He argued that the release of Iran's frozen assets as a result of the nuclear agreement would enhance the financial capabilities of the Tehran government and "lead this lion to greater ferocity and strengthen terrorism and violence." Netanyahu stated that ISIS and Iran are both enemies of peace and stability in the region, asserting that "Iran is not part of the solution to fighting ISIS," but rather both ISIS and Iran should be weakened and defeated "simultaneously." He referenced recent statements by Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Major General Ataollah Salehi, the commander of the Iranian army, and remarks from the deputy commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards. Netanyahu emphasized that his country's strong opposition to the nuclear agreement stems from the fact that Iranian leaders openly speak of destroying Israel, with Ayatollah Khamenei expressing hope that Israel will not exist in 25 years. He quoted Major General Salehi, who had stated shortly after Khamenei's remarks that he hopes Iranian armed forces can bring about Israel's destruction sooner than the timeline mentioned by the leader. Netanyahu also cited a statement from Qassem Soleimani's deputy, who recently claimed that Iran has "conquered" four regional countries and has recently brought Yemen under its control after extensive influence in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. The Israeli Prime Minister held up a book containing a collection of Ayatollah Khamenei's speeches about Israel, published by the Iranian leader's office in recent months. Reminding the audience of these examples, he stated that "two hundred statements are not worth half an action, but in the case of Iran, their words are identical to their actions." Netanyahu criticized the member states of the United Nations for why "none, not even one country" has taken a stand against Iranian leaders' statements regarding the destruction of Israel and why their silence is "absolute." In this part of his speech, Netanyahu unusually glared for a long time at diplomats from various countries present in the hall, including a furious look directed at Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister. When he resumed his speech, he asked, if you were in my place and the Iranian regime constantly spoke of your destruction, would you still welcome this agreement and open your arms to trade relations with Iran? He continued that the Iranian government has not changed, and its human rights record is dire. Regarding the Palestinians, Netanyahu responded to Mahmoud Abbas's speech at the UN on Wednesday, telling him to "stop lying." The Israeli Prime Minister stated that his government guarantees religious freedom for followers of religions in this land, but "the Palestinians beat the drum of false propaganda" and have "run away" from the negotiating table, while his government encourages their return to negotiations "without any preconditions." Netanyahu, whose relations with Barack Obama's administration over the nuclear agreement with Iran have become severely strained, referred to the U.S. as "Israel's closest ally" and characterized the disagreements between the two countries as "family disputes," asserting that he and Obama agree on principles. The Israeli Prime Minister described his country as a leader in science, research, and technology, claiming that even the "cherry tomato," which has gained worldwide fame, is an Israeli invention, but added that instead of this, Israel is constantly discriminated against and statements are issued against it. Netanyahu stated that the United Nations has issued 20 resolutions against Israel in the past year, while only one resolution has been published regarding Syria, where over 250,000 people have been killed.