Bennett to UN: Time to focus on Iran, not Israel

“Attacking Israel doesn’t make you morally superior. Fighting the only democracy in the Middle East doesn’t make you ‘woke,’” the Israeli prime minister said in his first address to the U.N. General Assembly. 

By Tobias Siegal, World Israel News

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Monday for the first time, urging the world to take action against the growing Iranian threat.

The Israeli prime minister started his speech by saying that Israel will no longer be defined by its neighbors or its conflicts.

“For way too long, Israel was defined by wars with our neighbors. But this is not what Israel is about. This is not what the people of Israel are about,” Bennett said.

“Israelis don’t wake up in the morning thinking about the conflict. Israelis want to lead a good life, take care of our families and build a better world for our children.”

Bennett went on to describe the challenges Israel faces, being located “in the toughest neighborhood on earth.”

“Israel is, quite literally, surrounded by Hezbollah, Shia militias, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas on our borders. These terror groups seek to dominate the Middle East and spread radical Islam across the world,” he said.

Specifically, Bennett focused on the global threat imposed by Iran and its nuclear program.

“For the past three decades Iran has spread its carnage and destruction around the Middle East, country after country: Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Gaza,” he argued. “Every place Iran touches fails. If you think Iranian terror is confined to Israel, you’re wrong.”

And now more than ever, it is time to take concrete action, Bennett stated.

“Iran is much weaker, much more vulnerable than it seems. It’s economy is sinking … Its corrupt government fails to bring water to large parts of the country,” Bennett said.

“If we’re serious about stopping them, if we use our resourcefulness we can prevail and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” he added.

Finally, Bennett said that supporting Israel in its fight against terrorism is a moral choice, taking a harsh stance against anti-Israel bias.

“Attacking Israel doesn’t make you morally superior. Fighting the only democracy in the Middle East doesn’t make you ‘woke,’” he said.

“Adopting clichés about Israel without bothering to learn the basic facts, well, that’s just plain lazy,” he continued. “Every member state in this building has a choice. It’s not a political choice, but a moral one. It’s a choice between darkness and light.”

Despite the many challenges Israel faces, it remains a “beacon of democracy,” Bennett stated, adding that “our best days are ahead of us.”