Netanyahu to UN: Stand with Israel against Iran

December 15, 2009

Speaking on the Islamic fanaticism of the Iranian government, Netanyahu said the struggle against such extremism “pits civilization against barbarism, the 21st century against the 9th century, those who sanctify life against those who glorify death.” The Israeli leader then noted the danger of such a regime gaining nuclear weapons. “If the most primitive fanaticism can acquire the most deadly weapons, the march of history could be reversed for a time. And like the belated victory over the Nazis, the forces of progress and freedom will prevail only after a horrific toll of blood and fortune has been exacted from mankind.”

While Netanyahu urged the UN to stand against Iran, he also chided them for emboldening terrorists with the recent Gaza war crimes report. Noting the eight years of rocket attacks on Israel, which only increased after Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Netanyahu pointed to a historical conflict with similar violence. “There is only one example in history of thousands of rockets being fired on a country's civilian population. It happened when the Nazis rocketed British cities during World War II. During that war, the allies leveled German cities, causing hundreds of thousands of casualties. Israel chose to respond differently. Faced with an enemy committing a double war crime of firing on civilians while hiding behind civilians, Israel sought to conduct surgical strikes against the rocket launchers.”

Despite Israel’s “extraordinary” efforts to avoid civilian casualties, Netanyahu said the UN condemned Israel, the victim in the conflict. “If this body does not reject this report, it would send a message to terrorists everywhere: Terror pays; if you launch your attacks from densely populated areas, you will win immunity.” Netanyahu also noted that the world needed to stand with Israel now so the Jewish State could be able to trust them to guarantee their right to self-defense in order that Israel can take “risks for peace.” Arguing that Israel longed for peace, Netanyahu said that “the Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves except those handfuls of powers that could endanger Israel,” again calling for the demilitarization of a future Palestinian state.

Netanyahu concluded, “In the spirit of the timeless words spoken to Joshua over 3,000 years ago, let us be strong and of good courage. Let us confront this peril, secure our future and, God willing, forge an enduring peace for generations to come.”

By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio

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