Transcript of Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the 2014 UN General Assembly

[Jefferson23]

In his September 29 speech, the Israel prime minister said peace was possible with fresh approach from Israel's neighbors and called for the Arab peace initiative to reflect regional changes of recent years.

Sep. 29, 2014 | 10:19 PM

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Thank you, Mr. President. Distinguished delegates, I come here from Jerusalem to speak on behalf of my people, the people of Israel. I've come here to speak about the dangers we face and about the opportunities we seek. I've come here to expose the brazen lies spoken from this very podium against my country and against the brave soldiers who defend it.

Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Israel pray for peace, but our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace are in danger because everywhere we look militant Islam is on the march. It’s not militants. It’s not Islam. It’s militant Islam. And typically its first victims are other Muslims, but it spares no one: Christians, Jews, Yazidis, Kurds. No creed, no faith, no ethnic group is beyond its sights. And it’s rapidly spreading in every part of the world.

You know the famous American saying, all politics is local? For the militant Islamists, all politics is global, because their ultimate goal is to dominate the world. Now, that threat might seem exaggerated to some since it starts out small, like a cancer that attacks a particular part of the body. But left unchecked, the cancer grows, metastasizing over wider and wider areas. To protect the peace and security of the world, we must remove this cancer before it’s too late.

Last week, many of the countries represented here rightly applauded President Obama for leading the effort to confront ISIS, and yet weeks before, some of these same countries, the same countries that now support confronting ISIS, opposed Israel for confronting Hamas. They evidently don’t understand that ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.618308

[Jefferson23]

1. Analysis || Netanyahu's empty UN speech was a tour de force of deja vu

The prime Minister's speech to a deserted hall was full of threats and dangers, but lacked any strategy or a detailed, diplomatic program.

By Barak Ravid

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped into the UN headquarters in New York on Monday and found it nearly empty. This year, as last year, Netanyahu had arrived after the party had ended. The leaders of the larger countries had addressed the General Assembly last week and left, and Netanyahu found himself speaking to the foreign ministers of Liechtenstein, Iceland and Bahrain.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.618324

[YarnAddict]

2. I didn't listen to the speech

but I heard that it got applause several times, and wondered why.

Thanks for posting!

[Jefferson23]

4. You're very welcome, and you're not the only one wondering why. n/t

[Scootaloo]

21. because the assembly hall was full of Israeli delegates and hangers-on

Who cheered and applauded at opportune times.

http://mondoweiss.net/2014/09/netanyahu-cheering-israelis

Last year was cartoon bombs. This year it's canned audience reactions. I swear that Netanyahu is living in an episode of Scooby-Doo.

[Jefferson23]

3. Israel PM slams UNHRC criticism of Gaza assualt

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday condemned the UN Human Rights Council for criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza, saying it encouraged militants to use human shields as a war tactic.

Speaking against Israeli attacks on Gaza sends "a message to terrorists everywhere: use children as human shields," Netanyahu said, addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, according to Ynet.

"The UNHRC has betrayed its noble mission to protect the innocent. The Human Rights Council has become the Terrorist Rights Council," he added.

Netanyahu also slammed President Mahmoud Abbas' speech before the Assembly, in which he accused Israeli forces of "genocide" during their 50-day offensive on Gaza.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=730874

[Israeli]

5. Many mixed responses to his speech Jefferson23....

....the one I most agree with and made me chuckle was by Meretz leader MK Zahava Gal.....

" "it was the same old speech of threats, intimidations and comparisons between the Islamic State, Hamas and Iran. A comparison no one in the world considers as valid."

"This speech," the Merez chairwoman said, "is the official seal of Netanyahu's utter failure to rescue Israel from the endless cycle of bloodshed and violence."

She added that "Netanyahu should have taken advantage of the opportunity and declare before the UN that he is accepting the Arab League's initiative. He didn't have to travel all the way to the UN for a self-victimizing whining campaign." "

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4576083,00.html

[Jefferson23]

11. I am leery of the Arab League initiative, but not for the same reasons as Bibi. The US shot back at

Netanyahu, which is interesting when you pair the US not calling Abbas' speech, untrue..at least not
yet. There was a small blip in the press mentioned to Bill Clinton, where he agrees Bibi will need to
be forced to negotiate. That is one sign among others that appears to be the direction the Obama administration
is going.

Psaki also clears up his bullshit about Iran, Bibi has been doing his best to undermine that too:

'Islamic State different from Hamas'

The United States was reluctant to accept Netanyahu's comparison between Hamas and Islamic State.

"We don’t believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu or anyone else from Israel is suggesting that the United States launch a military campaign against Hamas," US State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said during a press briefing.

"They are both designated terrorist organizations under the United States designations, but certainly we see differences in terms of the threat and otherwise," Psaki added.

Psaki also rejected Netanyahu's assertion that Hamas, ISIS, Iran, Hezbollah, Boko Haram and other militant Islamist groups all want the same thing – a Muslim caliphate dominating the world.

In his speech, Netanyahu called on the six world powers negotiating with Iran over its disputed nuclear program – the US among them – to demand full dismantling of Tehran's centrifuges.

Psaki reiterated that Washington shares Israel's concerns about Iran becoming a nuclear threshold country, but said she did not share Netanyahu's view that Iran was a bigger threat than ISIS.


"Obviously we’re spending a great deal of time and energy because we are concerned, as is Israel, about Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon … we’re equally concerned about the threat of ISIL, given all of the energy that we’re putting into that," she said.

Netanyahu also warned the international community of Iran's "charm offensive," saying that "once Iran produces atomic bombs the charm and smiles will disappear."

Psaki, however, insisted Iran's PR campaign would not have any impact on the nature of the nuclear deal reached with it.

"I can assure anyone that an agreement reached would not be based on a charm offensive or how that impacts us, but on the facts and the details. And we’re not going to agree to a comprehensive agreement that doesn’t meet our standards and meet our threshold," she said. "Our negotiation and our discussion … (are) about the facts and the details and what a final technical package would look like."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4576083,00.html

[azurnoir]

6. some good news sort of:US distances itself from Netanyahu’s UNHRC criticism

Speaking shortly after Netanyahu’s speech before the plenary of the United Nations General Assembly, Psaki didn’t criticize the premier’s address, but did say that the US disagreed with some of the characterizations he made.

Although Psaki noted that the US had also voiced criticism of the United Nations Human Rights Council for its frequent criticism of Israel, she also said that the US “would not agree” with Netanyahu’s characterization of the human rights body as “the terrorists’ rights council,” after he also labeled it “an oxymoron.”

Psaki said that while the US views ISIS and Hamas as terror organizations, the US “obviously believes that ISIS poses a different threat to the United States,” and added that the US did not see the speech as indicating that “Netanyahu or anybody else from Israel is suggesting that the US launch a military campaign against Hamas.”

She also said that the US “would not agree with the characterization” made in Netanyahu’s speech that ISIS, Iran, and Hamas share similar goals of establishing an international Islamic caliphate.

The State Department spokeswoman also sought to allay concerns voiced by Netanyahu that Western states were subject to a “manipulative charm offensive” by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. “Once Iran produces atomic bombs, the charm and smiles will disappear,” Netanyahu warned.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-distances-itself-from-netanyahus-unhrc-criticism/#ixzz3EmjN3aEK

[shira]

7. Bibi is correct about the Hamas goal of establishing a caliphate like ISIS

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/4063.htm

[Israeli]

9. So you dont agree with ....

MK Zahava Gal then shira ?

You dont agree with much of anything Meretz has to say ....past or present .
Especially when it comes to Shulamit Aloni one of its founders .

So why say you would vote for us if you could ?

I would have more respect for you if you were honest shira ....but ...you are anything but honest .

[shira]

10. I don't have a problem with what she said about Bibi's speech....

I agree with most of it.

I was just commenting on Hamas' aspirations towards an Islamic Caliphate, that's all.

[Scootaloo]

20. They can "aspire" all they want. Doesn't make it happen.

You really struggle with that concept, don't you, Shira? I've noticed that you will take any ludicrous statement, from any ludicrous sourse, and actually pretend that it has happened and is a real thing.

While, oddly enough, dismissing real things that have happened or are happening as being nothing more than "something someone says."

[Jefferson23]

12. Good luck, lol. MEMRI is her source in that link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Media_Research_Institute

[Mosby]

18. what are your views about hamas?

[Mosby]

19. today erekat compared bibi to the leader of isis

What do you think? is Bibi a terrorist in your opinion?

[Mosby]

22. So no comment from you about Hamas or ISIS

I find that really odd.

[Israeli]

24. Find it as odd as you like Mosby....

...of course you could do a search on all of my posts since I joined here ... I hate repeating myself ... but I'm sure I have made my views on Hamas and Bibi perfectly clear in the past .

What I find " odd " is your support for our Right wing whilst supposedly supporting Obama and calling yourseves Democrats .

Either you shira and King David are confused and/or are uneducated .....or .....??????

Whatever Mosby....you and I will never see eye to eye or agree on anything ....you vote for whoever is going to replace Obama ... I will vote Meretz or Hadash ....and thank a god I have no believe in ....that you , shira and King David have no say and no vote in our elections .

[King_David]

25. Uneducated ?

LOL

That's funny .

When I get to Israel I want to take you out off that little isolated homogenous farm kibbutz into the big city Tel Aviv so you can experience diversity .

[Israeli]

30. Confused then KD ....

....its one or the other .....which do you prefer ?

When you get here .....when is that BTW ? .....you want to take a 64 yr old grandmother out and show her the town .....am I supposed to pay for the pleasure ? ......" experience diversity " ....thanks but no thanks KD ....I would rather curl up on my " little isolated homogenous " sofa and read a good book .

[King_David]

33. Chicken

[Israeli]

34. Is that a challenge KD ?

If so I accept .

Date time and place .....to be agreed by both parties in advance .
PM me with details .

My son will escort me , in uniform ,....have your passport and all relevant documentation available .... you want to check us out .....no problemo ...of course anything we find out about you will become public knowledge ....anything you find out about us will just confirm every post I have made .

Chicken right back at you .....your move .

[King_David]

35. Ok I will accept too,

Your son in uniform ?

Is he single ?

[Mosby]

27. thanks for the reply I guess

I don't support any particular party in Israel, I try to view the conflict as impartially as I can, and try evaluate situations broadly without involving local politics.

I have noticed however that Israel has a very well established political class, so one sees the same folks over and over in office or running for office, it's similar to some american cities like Chicago for example.

One thing about your comments about "the right wing" is that you seem not to understand the vast differences between the right in Israel and the right in the us. In Israel your right wing is ultra-nationalistic, that seems to be the primary focus. They generally support an extensive social service system. In fact didn't bibi recently try to extend cash benefits to single parents to defray the costs of child care?

In the us the "right wing" want to destroy most of the federal government, they want to eliminate regulatory agencies like the interior dept, education dept, FDA, USDA, SEC and many others, they believe that companies will do the right thing because of some silly discredited concept called "the invisible hand principle". They even want to eliminate social security and minimum wages. Basically they want to remove whatever government regulation that might restrict their ability to extract profits.

In addition, the american right wing panders to christian conservatives so they don't support reproductive rights, they want to ban abortions, IUDs and the morning after pill. They want to limit the right for gays and lesbians to be married and are OK with hitting children as a form of "discipline". They reject science, in particular evolutionary theory and climatology. Many home school their children and then send them to private christian colleges. When they do have to send their kids to public schools they try to control the textbooks and curriculum to reflect their warped world view.

Other that Likud pandering a bit to the ultra orthodox, there is little similarities between the right wing in Israel and the right wing in the us.

[Israeli]

31. Mosby...

I know next to nothing about American politics .....not my business and I could not care less .

Israeli politics I know .

Likud does not pander a bit to the ultra orthodox......they pander to the orthodox .

" there is little similarities between the right wing in Israel and the right wing in the us. "

On that we can agree .

[King_David]

26. Meretz is a Zionist party

Not these 170 people in your little club.

There's no support for BDS or university boycott or even ROR.

I don't think if you indeed even live in Israel that Meretz would be a good fit for your views as espoused here on DU.

[Israeli]

32. The date is off ...

Sheesh .....your fickle .

[azurnoir]

15. shouldn't you be writing letters and emails to the POTUS or something?

because according to you, MEMRI, Likud, and I'm betting others stateside he's wrong, naive, and misinformed

[King_David]

28. No need. : Obama: 'No Ally More Important Than Israel'

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-tells-jewish-donors-no-ally-more-important-than-israel/blogEntry?id=15061508&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ca%2F

[azurnoir]

29. little to do with the post I was replying to, but I guess the 2011 AJC fundraiser where Obama quote

comes from wasn't all that exclusive or isn't 3 years afterwards

[oberliner]

8. Dick Cheney meets John Bolton

No wonder he is so popular in certain circles.

[Jefferson23]

13. Israel Prize laureate Zach backs Abbas' claims of 'Gaza genocide'

In an interview with Army Radio, famed poet Nathan Zach said that it was Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech that was “slanderous” while Abbas “spoke the truth.”

Nathan Zach, the famed poet and Israel Prize laureate, was quoted in Hebrew-language media outlets on Tuesday as saying that he supported Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ characterization of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip this past summer as “genocide.”

In an interview with Army Radio, Zach said that it was Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech that was “slanderous” while Abbas “spoke the truth.”

“If I were to speak to Netanyahu, I’d quote him a passage from the Book of Isaiah, [chapter 49, verse 17]: ‘Your children hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you’,” Zach said.

When asked about Abbas’ use of the word “genocide” to describe Operation Protective Edge, Zach said: “Israeli politicians have said things that are even more awful, or no less awful, than what Abbas said about genocide.”

“To some extent, whenever someone is angry after having been strung along for over a year with fruitless negotiations, then one tends to use words that aren’t so effective,” he said. “For Abbas, that word was genocide, or a mini genocide.”

In his interview with Army Radio, Zach even questioned the wisdom of Israelis living in towns near the Gaza border.

“Look at the map,” he said. “Around tiny, miserable Gaza they surrounded them with a network of kibbutzim,” he said. “Why there of all places? The Negev is a big place. It’s not genocide. It’s ‘enveloping them with love’.”

When reminded that residents of Tel Aviv also absorbed rocket fire, Zach said: “I could be hit with a rocket in Tel Aviv? So be it. War is war. The Jews have absorbed much worse in other countries.”

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-Prize-laureate-Zach-backs-Abbas-claims-of-Gaza-genocide-376658

[oberliner]

14. Headline does not match the article content

I guess that is pretty typical for JPost.

[Jefferson23]

16. Not just JPost, others have their headline a tad off. But it's the sloppy proof reading I see

too often that I find annoying.

This went to publication from the Guardian recently: The official US reaction described the was comments as “offensive and deeply disappointing”.

[oberliner]

17. That typo from The Guardian is still up there

You'd think they could have made the correction in the four days or so since it was originally posted online.

I agree that this sort of thing happens all over the place.

[aranthus]

23. Plaiying devil's advocate for a sec.

The body of the article does claim that he said that Abbas spoke the truth. He would probably say that he didn't mean it that way, but the statement is open to the interpretation that he was supporting the genocide claim. Okay stepping out of devil's advocate now.

The headline is over the top, probably misleading and inflammatory. But as you have said it happens everywhere.