Netanyahu's Reaction to Rouhani's Remarks: It is Hate-Inducing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted to the statements made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during the International Conference on Islamic Unity. Rouhani criticized Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States in his speech at the 'Islamic Unity' conference. Following Rouhani's remarks, Netanyahu wrote on his Twitter account, 'Israel knows how to defend itself against the bloodthirsty Iranian regime.' He added, 'Rouhani's hate-inducing statements about the destruction of Israel once again prove why the international community must join the sanctions against the terrorist regime of Iran, which also threatens them.' On Saturday, December 3, Hassan Rouhani, during the International Conference on Islamic Unity held in Tehran, referred to Israel as a 'cancerous tumor' and described it as a 'fake regime.' Similar remarks have been repeatedly made by senior leaders of the Islamic Republic, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, its leader; such statements are often met with widespread criticism in the West. The Islamic Republic does not recognize Israel as a country. Iranian officials, including senior military officials, have threatened this country with 'destruction' on several occasions, which has led to responses from Israel. Over the past years, the Israeli army has attacked dozens of 'Iranian targets' in Syria. Although Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for many of these attacks, its leaders have emphasized that they will not allow the Islamic Republic to expand its influence near their borders. Netanyahu has been a staunch critic of the nuclear deal during Barack Obama's presidency with Iran and conducted a broad campaign to prevent this agreement from being reached. The agreement was established during Obama's administration but was dismantled during Donald Trump's presidency, which was welcomed by the Israeli government. Trump claims that the nuclear agreement did not stop Iran's 'destructive' activities in the region and the world, the development of its missile program, and other issues, and has called for renewed negotiations to achieve a 'more comprehensive' agreement. Tehran, pointing to Washington's unilateral withdrawal from a multilateral agreement and stating that 'the U.S. cannot be trusted,' has not yet agreed to such negotiations.