Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu delivered a strong warning to Iran during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday morning.
“There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that is true of the entire Middle East.”
While Netanyahu spoke with intensity, Iran’s seats at the General Assembly remained conspicuously vacant, his speech coming almost exactly a year after the October 7th assault by Hamas, a terror organization backed by Iran.
The October 7 attack triggered a chain of violence across the Middle East. Israel retaliated by launching a military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while simultaneously facing hostility from Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.
In April, Iran responded with direct strikes against Israel, a reprisal for an Israeli air raid near the Iranian embassy located in Damascus, Syria.
As Netanyahu spoke, parts of the audience occasionally responded with applause, though not uniformly enthusiastic.
However, a number of diplomats made a visible exit from the General Assembly as a form of protest against the prime minister, who has faced sharp criticism for his conduct during the Gaza war and the unresolved hostage situation.
Netanyahu also took the opportunity to introduce relatives of some of the victims, either killed or taken hostage during the October 7 attack.
“I promise you, we will return your loved ones home…we will not rest until this holy mission is accomplished,” he vowed to them.
Additionally, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel would not allow Hamas to regain control over Gaza post-war, likening such a scenario to permitting the Nazis to restore power in Germany after World War II.
{Matzav.com}