YouSaid · the spoken record

Benjamin Netanyahu

lines on the record: 291
first: 1998-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 12
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Finally, mercifully, Hiroo’s former commanding officer was sent to persuade him to come out of hiding. Only then did Hiroo lay down his arms. I have one message for those present here today, that is, that they too should lay down their arms. The war against Israel at the United Nations is over. Perhaps some of those present do not know it yet, but I am confident that one day in the not too distant future they will also get the message from their leaders informing them that the war against Israel at the United Nations has ended. Yes, I know, there might be a storm before the calm. I know there is talk about ganging up on Israel at the United Nations later this year.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I believe the day is not far off when Israel will be able to rely on many countries to stand with us at the United Nations. Slowly but surely, the days when United Nations Ambassadors reflexively condemn Israel are coming to an end. Today’s automatic majority against Israel at the United Nations reminds me of the incredible story of Hiroo Onada, who was a Japanese soldier sent to the Philippines in 1944. He lived in the jungle. He scavenged for food. He evaded capture. Eventually he surrendered, but that did not happen until 1974, some 30 years after the end of the Second World War. For decades, Hiroo refused to believe the war was over. As Hiroo was hiding in the jungle, Japanese tourists were swimming in pools in American luxury hotels in nearby Manila.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It reflects, above all else, the overwhelming support for Israel among the American people, support which is at record highs and for which we are deeply grateful. The United Nations denounces Israel; the United States supports Israel. And a central pillar of that defence has been America’s consistent support for Israel at the United Nations. I appreciate President Obama’s commitment to that long-standing United States policy. In fact, the only time that the United States cast a Security Council veto during the Obama presidency was against an anti-Israel draft resolution in 2011 (see S/PV.6484). As President Obama rightly declared at this rostrum, peace will not come from statements and resolutions at the United Nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“For the first time in my lifetime, many other States in the region recognize that Israel is not their enemy. They recognize that Israel is their ally. Our common enemies are Iran and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham. Our common goals are security, prosperity and peace. I believe that, in the years ahead, we will work together to achieve those goals, work together openly. Therefore, Israel’s diplomatic relations are undergoing nothing less than a revolution. But in that revolution we never forget that our cherished alliance, our deepest friendship, is with the United States of America, the powerful and the most generous nation on Earth. Our unbreakable bond with the United States of America transcends parties and politics.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That was the first visit to Africa by an Israeli Prime Minister in decades. Later today, I will be meeting with leaders from 17 African countries. We will discuss how Israeli technology can help them in their efforts to transform their countries. In Africa, things are changing. In China, India, Russia and Japan, attitudes towards Israel have changed as well. Those powerful nations know that, despite Israel’s small size, it can make a big difference in many areas that are important to them. But now I am going to surprise everyone even more. The biggest changes in attitudes towards Israel is taking place elsewhere. It is taking place in the Arab world. Our peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan continue to be anchors of stability in the volatile Middle East.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“How about cybersecurity? That is an issue that affects everyone. Israel accounts for one tenth of 1 per cent of the world’s population, yet last year we attracted some 20 per cent of the global private investment in cybersecurity. If we digest that number, we see that Israel is punching a whopping 200 times above its weight. Therefore, Israel is also a global cybersecurity Power. If hackers are targeting banks, planes, power grids and just about everything else, Israel can offer indispensable help. Governments are changing their attitudes towards Israel because they know that Israel can help them protect, feed and improve the lives of their people. This summer, I had an unbelievable opportunity to see that change vividly during an unforgettable visit to four African countries.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“World leaders increasingly appreciate that Israel is a powerful country with one of the best intelligence services on Earth. Because of our unmatched experience and proven capabilities in fighting terrorism, many Governments will seek our help in keeping their countries safe. Many also seek to benefit from Israel’s ingenuity in agriculture, in health, in water, in cybersecurity and in the fusion of big data, connectivity and artificial intelligence — that fusion that is changing our world in every way. Israel leads the world in recycling wastewater. We recycle about 90 per cent of our wastewater. How remarkable is that? Given that the next country on the list recycles only about 20 per cent of its wastewater, Israel is a global water Power. If we have a thirsty world, and we do, there is no better ally than Israel.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Therefore, when it comes to Israel at the United Nations, one might well think that nothing will ever change. Well, think again. Everything will change, and a lot sooner than one might think. The change will happen in this Hall, because back home Governments are rapidly changing their attitudes towards Israel. Sooner or later, that is going to change the way everyone votes on Israel at the United Nations. More and more nations in Asia, in Africa and in Latin America see Israel as a potent partner in fighting the terrorism of today and in developing the technology of tomorrow. Today, Israel has diplomatic relations with over 160 countries, nearly double the number from when I served here as Israel’s Ambassador some 30 years ago. Those ties are getting broader and deeper every day.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As women are being systematically raped, murdered and sold into slavery across the world, which is the only country that the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women chose to condemn this year? Yes, Israel. Israel, where women fly fighter jets, lead major corporations, head universities, preside — twice — over the Supreme Court, and have served as Speaker of the Knesset and Prime Minister. And that circus continues at UNESCO, the United Nations body charged with preserving world heritage. This is hard to believe, but UNESCO just denied the 4,000-year connection between the Jewish people and its holiest site, the Temple Mount. That is just as absurd as denying the connection between the Great Wall of China and China. The United Nations, which began as a moral force, has become a moral farce.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“What I am about to say is going to shock everyone — Israel has a bright future at the United Nations. I know that hearing that from me must surely come as a surprise, because year after year I have stood at this very rostrum and slammed the United Nations for its obsessive bias against Israel. And the United Nations has deserved every scathing word — for instance, for the disgrace of the General Assembly last year, which adopted 20 resolutions against the democratic State of Israel and a grand total of three resolutions against all the other countries on the planet. Israel, 20; the rest of the world, three. And what about the joke called the United Nations Human Rights Council, which each year condemns Israel more than all the countries of the world combined?”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“More than ever, Israel is defending the world!”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In the Middle East, those values are under savage assault by militant Islamists, who are forcing millions of terrified people to flee to distant shores. Just 10 miles from ISIS and a few hundred yards from Iran’s murderous proxies, Israel stands in the breach, proudly and courageously defending freedom and progress. Israel is civilization’s front line in the battle against barbarism. So here is a novel idea for the United Nations. Instead of continuing the shameful routine of bashing Israel, the international community should stand with Israel. The international community should stand with Israel as we work to check the fanaticism at its doors. It should stand with Israel as we prevent that fanaticism from even reaching its doors. The international community should stand with Israel because Israel is not just defending itself.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“They are on display when Israel’s feisty parliament vigorously debates every issue under the sun; when Israel’s Chief Justice sits in her chair at our fiercely independent Supreme Court; when our Christian community continues to grow and thrive from year to year, whereas Christian communities elsewhere in the Middle East are decimated; when a brilliant young Israeli Muslim student gives her valedictorian address at one of our finest universities; and when Israeli doctors and nurses — doctors and nurses from the Israeli military — treat thousands of wounded from the killing fields of Syria and thousands more in the wake of natural disasters from Haiti to Nepal. That is the true face of Israel. Those are the values of Israel.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Because, unlike the Powers that ruled Jerusalem in the past, Israel respects the holy sites and the freedom of worship of Jews, Muslims, Christians — everyone. And that will never change. Because Israel will always stay true to its values. Those values are on display each and every day.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“What President Abbas should be speaking out against are the actions of the militant Islamists who are smuggling explosives into the Al-Aqsa Mosque and who are trying to prevent Jews and Christians from visiting the holy sites. That is the real threat to those sacred sites. A thousand years before the birth of Christianity, more than 1,500 years before the birth of Islam, King David made Jerusalem our capital, and King Solomon built the Temple on that Mount. Yet Israel will always respect the sacred shrines of all religions. In a region plagued by violence and by unimaginable intolerance, in which Islamic fanatics are destroying the ancient treasures of civilization, Israel stands out as a towering beacon of enlightenment and tolerance. Far from endangering the holy sites, Israel ensures their safety.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Today, 31 years after I stood here for the first time, I am still asking when the United Nations will finally check its anti-Israel fanaticism at the door, when the United Nations will finally stop slandering Israel as a threat to peace and when it will actually start helping Israel advance peace. The same question should be posed to Palestinian leaders. When will they start working with Israel to advance peace and reconciliation, stop libelling Israel and stop inciting hatred and violence? Here is a good place for President Abbas to begin. He should stop spreading lies about Israel’s alleged intentions on the Temple Mount. Israel is fully committed to maintaining the status quo there.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Here is just one absurd example of 30/55 15-29658 01/10/2015 A/70/PV.22 that obsession. In the four years of horrific violence in Syria, more than a quarter of a million people have lost their lives. That is more than 10 times the number of Israelis and Palestinians combined who have lost their lives in a century of conflict between us. Yet last year, the Assembly adopted 20 resolutions against Israel and only one resolution about the savage slaughter in Syria. Talk about injustice. Talk about disproportionality. Count them: 20. And one against Syria. Well, frankly I am not surprised. To borrow a line from Yogi Berra, the late, great baseball player and part-time philosopher, when it comes to the annual bashing of Israel at the United Nations, it is déjà vu all over again. Enough is enough.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“If we actually sit down together, if we actually negotiate and stop negotiating about the negotiation, and if we actually sit down to try to resolve the conflict between us, recognizing each other and not using a Palestinian State as a stepping stone for yet another Islamist dictatorship in the Middle East but as something that will live at peace next to the Jewish State, we can do remarkable things for our peoples. The United Nations can help advance peace by supporting direct, unconditional negotiations between the parties. The United Nations will certainly not help advance peace by trying to impose solutions or by encouraging Palestinian rejectionism, And the United Nations should do one more thing. The United Nations should finally rid itself of its obsessive bashing of Israel.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Unfortunately, we heard that rejectionism again only yesterday from President Abbas. How can Israel make peace with a Palestinian partner who refuses to even sit at the negotiating table? Israel expects the Palestinian Authority to abide by its commitments. The Palestinians should not walk away from peace. I would like to tell President Abbas that I know it is not easy. I know it is hard. But we owe it to our peoples to try, to continue to try.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Those who know the price of war can best appreciate what the blessings of peace would mean — for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. I am prepared to immediately resume direct peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority without any preconditions whatsoever. Unfortunately, President Abbas said yesterday that he is not prepared to do that. I hope he changes his mind, because I remain committed to a vision of two States for two peoples, in which a demilitarized Palestinian State recognizes the Jewish State. As members know, the peace process began over two decades ago. Yet despite the best efforts of six Israeli prime ministers — Rabin, Peres, Barak, Sharon, Olmert and myself — the Palestinians have consistently refused to end the conflict and to make a final peace with Israel.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“They were also perfected in Israel, in case someone did not know. We are so proud in Israel of the long strides that our country has been able to take in a short time. We are so proud that our small country is making such a huge contribution to the entire world. Yet the dreams of our people, enshrined for eternity by the great prophets of the Bible, will be fully realized only when there is peace. As the Middle East descends into chaos, Israel’s peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are two cornerstones of stability. Israel remains committed to achieving peace with the Palestinians as well. Israelis know the price of war. I know the price of war. I was nearly killed in battle. I lost many friends. I lost my beloved brother Yoni.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Israel is a world leader in science and technology, in cybertechnology, software, water, agriculture, medicine, biotechnology and so many other fields that are being revolutionized by Israeli ingenuity and Israeli innovation. Israel is the innovation nation. Israeli know-how is everywhere. It is in our computers’ microprocessors and flash drives. It is in our smart phones, when we send instant messages and navigate our cars. It is on our farms, when we drip-irrigate our crops and keep our grains and produce fresh. It is in our universities, when we study Nobel Prize-winning discoveries in chemistry and economics. It is in our medicine cabinets, when we use drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. It is even on our plates, when we eat delicious cherry tomatoes.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Israel deeply appreciates President Obama’s willingness to bolster our security and to help Israel maintain its qualitative military edge in order to confront the enormous challenges we face. Israel is grateful that this sentiment is widely shared by the American people and its representatives in Congress — both by those who supported the deal and by those who opposed it. President Obama and I have both said that our differences over the nuclear deal are a disagreement within the family. But we have no disagreement about the need to work together to secure our common future. And what a great future it could be. Israel is uniquely poised to take advantage of the promise of the twenty-first century.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“And when 15-29658 29/55 A/70/PV.22 01/10/2015 one’s enemies fight each other, one does not strengthen either one. One weakens both. Common dangers are clearly bringing Israel and its Arab neighbours closer. As we work together to thwart the dangers that I have mentioned, I hope that we will build lasting partnerships for security, for prosperity and for peace. But in Israel, we never forget one thing. We never forget that Israel’s most important partner has always been, and will always be, the United States of America. The alliance between Israel and the United States is unshakeable. President Obama and I agree on the need to keep arms out of the hands of Iran’s terror proxies. We agree on the need to stop Iran from destabilizing countries throughout the Middle East.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“What the international community now needs to do is clear: first, it must make Iran comply with all its nuclear obligations, and hold Iran’s feet to the fire. Secondly, Iran’s regional aggression must be put in check by supporting and strengthening those fighting Iran’s aggression, beginning with Israel. Thirdly, use sanctions and all the tools available to tear down Iran’s global terror network. Israel is working closely with our Arab peace partners to address our common security challenges from Iran and also the security challenges from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and from others. We are also working with other States in the Middle East, as well as with countries in Africa, in Asia and beyond. Many in our region know that both Iran and ISIL are our common enemies.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Whatever resolutions they may adopt in this building, whatever decisions they may take in their capitals, Israel will do whatever it must do to defend our State and to defend our people. As the deal with Iran moves ahead, I hope it will be enforced — how can I put this? — with a little more rigour than was shown with the six Security Council resolutions that Iran has systematically violated and which now have been effectively discarded. I would call for ensuring that the inspectors actually inspect, that the snapback sanctions actually snap back, and that Iran’s violations not be swept under the Persian rug. There is one thing I can assure the Assembly of today that Israel will be watching closely.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It has enabled us to live as a free people in our ancestral homeland. It has enabled us to embrace Jews who have come from the four corners of the Earth to find refuge from persecution. They have come from war-torn Europe, from Yemen, Iraq, and Morocco, from Ethiopia and the Soviet Union, from a hundred other lands. And today, as a rising tide of anti-Semitism once again sweeps across Europe and elsewhere, many Jews come to Israel to join us in building the Jewish future. So here is my message to the rulers of Iran. Their plan to destroy Israel will fail. Israel will not permit any force on Earth to threaten its future. And here is my message to all the countries represented here.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“And now another regime has arisen, swearing to destroy Israel. That regime would be wise to consider this fact: I stand here today representing Israel, a country that is 67 years young but is the nation State of a people nearly 4,000 years old. The empires of Babylon and Rome are not represented in this Hall of nations, nor is the 1,000-year Reich. Those seemingly invincible empires are long gone. But Israel lives. The people of Israel live. The rebirth of Israel is a testament to the indomitable spirit of my people. For a hundred generations, the Jewish people dreamed of returning to the land of Israel. Even in our darkest hours — and we had so many — even in our darkest hours, we never gave up hope of rebuilding our eternal capital, Jerusalem. The establishment of Israel made it possible to realize that dream.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We have spoken up, we are speaking up, and we will continue to do so. Not being passive also means defending ourselves against those dangers. We have. We are. And we will. Israel will not allow Iran to break in, to sneak in or to walk into the nuclear-weapons club. I know that preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons remains the official policy of the international community. But no one should question Israel’s determination to defend itself against those who seek our destruction. For in every generation, there have been those who sought to destroy our people. In antiquity, we faced destruction from the ancient empires of Babylon and Rome. In the Middle Ages, we faced inquisitions and expulsions. And in modern times, we faced pogroms and the Holocaust. Yet the Jewish people persevered.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Now this fact needs to be remembered: Iran already has missiles that can reach Israel. So those intercontinental ballistic missiles that Iran is building are not meant for us. They are meant for others — for Europe, for America, for raining down mass destruction anytime, anywhere. It is not easy to oppose something that is embraced by the greatest Powers in the world. Believe me, it would be far easier to remain silent. But throughout our history, the Jewish people have learned the heavy price of silence. And as the Prime Minister of the Jewish State, as someone who knows that history, I refuse to be silent. I will say it again. The days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies — those days are over. Not being passive means speaking up about those dangers.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Perhaps members of the Assembly can now understand why Israel is not joining in the general celebration of the deal. If Iran’s rulers were working to destroy other members’ countries, perhaps they would be less enthusiastic about the deal. If Iran’s terror proxies were firing thousands of rockets at other members’ cities, perhaps they would be more measured in their praise. And if the deal were unleashing a nuclear 28/55 15-29658 01/10/2015 A/70/PV.22 arms race in their neighbourhoods, perhaps they would be more reluctant to celebrate. But no one should think that Iran is a danger only to Israel. Besides Iran’s aggression in the Middle East and its terror campaign around the world, Iran is also building intercontinental ballistic missiles whose sole purpose is to carry nuclear warheads.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We are glad that we are in the forefront of executing the Supreme Leader’s order to destroy Israel.” As for the Supreme Leader himself, a few days after the nuclear deal was announced, he released his latest book. It is a 400-page screed detailing his plan to destroy the State of Israel. Last month, Khamenei once again made his genocidal intentions clear. Before Iran’s top clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, he spoke about Israel, which is home to over 6 million Jews. He pledged that “there will be no Israel in 25 years”. Seventy years after the murder of 6 million Jews, Iran’s rulers promise to destroy my country, murder my people, and the response from this body, the response from nearly every one of the Governments represented here, has been absolutely nothing — utter silence, deafening silence.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I am gravely concerned that the nuclear deal with Iran will prove to be the marriage certificate of that unholy union. I know that some well-intentioned people sincerely believe that this deal is the best way to block Iran’s path to the bomb. However, one of history’s most important, yet least learned lessons, is that the best intentions do not prevent the worst outcomes. The vast majority of Israelis believe that this nuclear deal with Iran is a very bad deal. What makes matters even worse is that we see the world celebrating this bad deal, rushing to embrace and do business with a regime that is openly committed to our destruction. Last week, Major General Salehi, the Commander of Iran’s Army, proclaimed “We will annihilate Israel, for sure.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“This deal will treat Iran like a normal country even if it remains a dark theocracy that conquers its neighbours, sponsors terrorism worldwide and chants, “Death to Israel, death to America!” Does anyone seriously believe that flooding a radical theocracy with weapons and cash will curb its appetite for aggression? Does anyone here really believe that a theocratic Iran with sharper claws and sharper fangs will be more likely to change its stripes? There is a general rule that I have learned — and that that those here must have learned it in their lifetime — which is that when bad behaviour is rewarded, it only gets worse. I have long said that the greatest danger that the world faces is the coupling of militant Islam with nuclear weapons.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“This deal does place several constraints on Iran’s nuclear programme, and rightly so, because the international community recognizes that Iran is particularly dangerous. But, here is the catch. Under this deal, if Iran does not change its behaviour — in fact, even if it becomes more dangerous in the years to come — the most important constraints will still be automatically lifted by year 10 and by year 15. That would place a militant Islamic terror regime weeks away from having the fissile material for an entire arsenal of nuclear bombs. That just does not make any sense. I have said that if Iran wants to be treated like a normal country, let it act like a normal country.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“For those here who believe that the deal in Vienna will bring about a change in Iran’s policy, listen to what Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, said five days after the nuclear deal was reached: “Our policies towards the arrogant Government of the United States will not change”. The United States, he vowed, will continue to be Iran’s enemy. While giving the mullahs more money is likely to fuel more repression inside Iran, it will definitely fuel more aggression outside Iran. As the leader of a country defending itself every day against Iran’s growing aggression, I wish that I could take comfort in the claim that this deal blocks Iran’s path to nuclear weapons, but I cannot, because it does not.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Two years later, Iran is executing more political prisoners, escalating its regional aggression and rapidly expanding its global terror net. They say that actions speak louder than words, but, in Iran’s case, their words speak as loudly as their actions. Just listen to the Deputy Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Qods Force. In February, he said that “the Islamic Revolution is not limited by geographic borders”. He boasted that Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Yemen are among the countries being “conquered by the Islamic Republic of Iran”. He said “conquered”.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I repeat, Iran has been doing all of this — everything that I have just described — just within the past six months, when it was trying to convince the world to remove the sanctions. Just imagine what Iran will do after those sanctions are lifted. Unleashed and unmuzzled, Iran will go on the prowl, devouring more and more prey. In the wake of the nuclear deal, Iran is spending billions of dollars on weapons and satellites. Does anyone here think that Iran is doing that to 15-29658 27/55 A/70/PV.22 01/10/2015 advance peace? Does anyone here think that hundreds of billions of dollars in sanctions relief and fat contracts will turn that rapacious tiger into a kitten? People who think so should think again. In 2013, President Rouhani began his so-called charm offensive here at the United Nations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Israel will continue to act to prevent the transfer of strategic weapons to Hizbullah from and through Syrian territory. Every few weeks, Iran and Hizbullah set up new terrorist cells in cities throughout the world. Three such cells were recently uncovered in Kuwait, Jordan and Cyprus. In May, security forces in Cyprus raided a Hizbullah agent’s apartment in the city of Larnaca. There they found five tons of ammonium nitrate — roughly the same amount of ammonium nitrate used to blow up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. And that was just in one apartment, in one city, in one country. But Iran is setting up dozens of terrorist cells like that around the world. They are setting up those terror cells in this hemisphere as well.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Iran also shipped tons of weapons and ammunition to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, including another shipment just two days ago. Iran threatened to topple Jordan. Iran’s proxy, Hizbullah, smuggled into Lebanon SA-22 missiles to down our planes and Yakhont cruise missiles to sink our ships. Iran supplied Hizbullah with precision-guided surface-to-surface missiles and attack drones so it can accurately hit any target in Israel. Iran aided Hamas and Islamic Jihad in building armed drones in Gaza. Iran also made clear its plans to open two new terror fronts against Israel, promising to arm Palestinians in the West Bank and sending its Revolutionary Guard generals to the Golan Heights, from which its operatives recently fired rockets on northern Israel. Israel will continue to respond forcefully to any attacks against it from Syria.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“And for me, that privilege has always come with a moral responsibility to speak the truth. So after three days of listening to world leaders praise the nuclear deal with Iran, I begin my speech today by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, check your enthusiasm at the door”. The deal does not make peace more likely. By fuelling Iran’s aggressions with billions of dollars in sanctions relief, it makes war more likely. Just look at what Iran has done in the past six months alone, since the framework agreement was announced in Lausanne. Iran boosted its supply of devastating weapons to Syria. Iran sent more soldiers of its Revolutionary Guard into Syria. Iran sent thousands of Afghani and Pakistani Shiite fighters to Syria. Iran did all that to prop up Al-Assad’s brutal regime.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I bring greetings from Jerusalem, the city in which the Jewish people’s hopes and prayers for peace for all of humanity have echoed throughout the ages. Thirty-one years ago, as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, I stood at this rostrum for the first time. I spoke that day against a draft resolution sponsored by Iran to expel Israel from the United Nations. Then, as now, the United Nations was obsessively hostile towards Israel, the one true democracy in the Middle East. Then, as now, some sought to deny the one and only Jewish State a place among nations. I ended that first speech by saying, “Gentlemen, check your fanaticism at the door” (A/39/PV.32, para. 83). More than three decades later, as the Prime Minister of Israel, I am again privileged to speak from this rostrum.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Let us light a torch of truth and justice to safeguard our common future.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It presents new dangers but also new opportunities. Israel is prepared to work with Arab partners and the international community to confront those dangers and to seize those opportunities. Together, we must recognize the global threat of militant Islam, the primacy of dismantling Iran’s nuclear weapons capability, and the indispensable role of Arab States in advancing peace with the Palestinians. All that may fly in the face of conventional wisdom, but it is the truth. And the truth must always be spoken, especially in the United Nations. Isaiah, a great prophet of peace, taught us nearly 3,000 years ago in Jerusalem to speak truth to power. He said: “For the sake of Zion, I will not be silent. For the sake of Jerusalem, I will not be still until her justice shines bright and her salvation glows like a flaming torch”.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“No matter what pressure is brought to bear, I will never waver in fulfilling that responsibility. I believe that with a fresh approach on the part of our neighbours, we can advance peace despite the difficulties we face. In Israel, we have a record of making the impossible possible. We have made a desolate land flourish, and with very few natural resources we have used the fertile minds of our people to turn Israel into a global centre of technology and innovation. Peace would enable Israel to realize its full potential and to bring a promising future not only to our people and not only to the Palestinian people, but to many, many others in our region. But the old template for peace must be updated. It must take into account new realities and new roles and responsibilities for our Arab neighbours. There is a new Middle East.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“That would place the likes of ISIS within mortar range, a few miles of 80 per cent of our population. Think about that. The distance between the 1967 lines and the suburbs of Tel Aviv is similar to the distance between United Nations Headquarters and Times Square. Israel is a tiny country. That is why in any peace agreement, which will obviously necessitate a territorial compromise, I will always insist that Israel be able to defend itself, by itself, against any threat. Yet despite everything that has happened, some still do not take Israel’s security concerns seriously, but I do and I always will. That is because as Prime Minister of Israel I am entrusted with the awesome responsibility of ensuring the future of the Jewish people and the future of the Jewish State.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“But it must be a genuine peace, one that is anchored in mutual recognition and enduring security arrangements — rock-solid security arrangements — on the ground. Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon and Gaza created two militant Islamic enclaves on our borders from which tens of thousands of rockets have been fired at Israel. Those sobering experiences heighten Israel’s security concerns regarding potential territorial concessions in the future. Those security concerns are even greater today. Let us just look around. The Middle East is in chaos. States are disintegrating, and militant Islamists are filling the void. Israel cannot have territories from which it withdraws taken over by Islamic militants yet again, as happened in Gaza and Lebanon.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“But I believe that, these days, it may work the other way around, namely, that a broader rapprochement between Israel and the Arab world may help facilitate an Israeli-Palestinian peace. Therefore, to achieve that peace, we must look not only to Jerusalem and Ramallah but also to Cairo, Amman, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and elsewhere. I believe that peace could be realized with the active involvement of Arab countries that are willing to provide political, material and other indispensable support. I am ready to make a historic compromise, and not because Israel occupies a foreign land. The people of Israel are not occupiers in the land of Israel. History, archaeology and common sense all make clear that we have had a singular attachment to this land for over 3,000 years. I want peace because I want to create a better future for my people.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“After decades of seeing Israel as their enemy, leading States in the Arab world increasingly recognize that together we and they face many of the same dangers. Principally, that means a nuclear-armed Iran and militant Islamist movements gaining ground in the Sunni world. Our challenge is to transform those common interests in order to create a productive partnership that would build a more secure, peaceful and prosperous Middle East. Together we can strengthen regional security. We can advance projects in water, agriculture, transportation, health care, energy and so many other fields. I believe that the partnership between us can also help facilitate peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Many have long assumed that an Israeli-Palestinian peace can help facilitate a broader rapprochement between Israel and the Arab world.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I suppose it is the same moral universe in which a man who wrote a dissertation of lies about the Holocaust and who insists on a Palestine free of Jews — Judenrein — can stand at this rostrum and shamelessly accuse Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing. In the past, outrageous lies against the Jews were the precursors to the wholesale slaughter of our people. But no more; today, we the Jewish people have the power to defend ourselves. We will defend ourselves against our enemies on the battlefield and we will expose their lies against us in the court of public opinion. Israel will continue to stand proud and unbowed. Despite the enormous challenges facing Israel, I believe we have a historic opportunity.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)