Netanyahu at AIPAC: ‘We Must Stop Iran! We Will Stop Iran!’

“The bad things are getting worse, and they’re very bad. We must stop Iran,” Netanyahu stated at the annual AIPAC policy conference in Washington, vowing to prevent the Islamic Republic from ever developing nuclear weapons.

By: Adina Katz, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing a crowd of 18,000 at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington on Tuesday, stressed the Iranian threat and the need to prevent Iran from ever developing nuclear weapons.

“The bad things are getting worse, and they’re very bad. The force behind so much of what is bad is this radical tyranny in Tehran. We must stop Iran,” he declared.

“When I last spoke here, I warned, tried to warn the world about a nuclear deal that was a threat to the survival of Israel, the security of the region, the peace of the world. I warned that Iran’s regime had repeatedly lied to the international community, that it could not be trusted. I warned that the deal gives Iran a clear path towards developing a nuclear arsenal in little more than a decade. And I warned that by removing Iran’s sanctions, Iran’s regime would not become more moderate and peaceful, but more extreme and belligerent, much more dangerous. And, ladies and gentlemen, that’s exactly what has happened,” Netanyahu asserted.

“Darkness is descending on our region. Iran is building an aggressive empire: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, more to come. Now Iran is seeking to build permanent military bases in Syria, seeking to create a land bridge from Tartus, from Tehran to Tartus on the Mediterranean. And in addition to moving its army, its air force, its navy to Syria to be able to attack Israel from closer hand, it’s also seeking to develop, to build precision guided missile factories in Syria and Lebanon against Israel,” he said.

“I will not let that happen. We will not let that happen. We must stop Iran. We will stop Iran,” the Israeli leader vowed. “Last week, we read in the Book of Esther about an earlier Persian attempt to exterminate our people. They failed then. They’ll fail now. We will never let Iran develop nuclear weapons – not now, not in 10 years, not ever.”

‘Israel Will Be Right There by America’s Side’

The Israeli leader also praised US President Donald Trump for his commitment to stop the Iranian aggression. The president “has made it clear that his administration will not accept Iran’s aggression in the region. He has made clear that he too will never accept a nuclear-armed Iran. That is the right policy. I salute President Trump on this. And the President has also made it clear that if the fatal flaws of the nuclear deal are not fixed, he will walk away from the deal and restore sanctions. Israel will be right there by America’s side. And let me tell you, so will other countries in the region,” Netanyahu stated.

Netanyahu also mentioned “the brave people of Iran,” saying that one day the “historic friendship between the people of Israel and the people of Persia will be reestablished.”

Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects, the Israeli premier urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to work towards a deal and stop funding terror, noting that the Palestinian Authority pays $350 million to Palestinian terrorists and their families each year.

‘Israeli Technology is Driving the World’

Despite the doom and gloom, Netanyahu celebrated Israel’s unprecedented success in recent years.

“Israeli technology is driving the world,” he proclaimed, citing the startup nation’s astounding innovation successes, helping countries around the world in various fields, including, for example, agriculture, water technology and cyber security.

Israel’s population of roughly eight million comprises one-tenth of one percent of the world’s and “gets a whopping 20 percent of global private investment in cyber,” Netanyahu enthused. “We’re punching 200 times above our weight.”

It’s the countries who don’t have relations with Israel that will suffer, he said. “They want to boycott us? We’ll boycott them!”

“We are coloring the world blue,” he said, pointing to Israel’s blooming relationships around the world.

Netanyahu, who received thunderous applause, ended with a positive message, stressing the “beautiful alliance” between Israel and the US, made of “our shared values.”

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