Israeli, Palestinian leaders give speeches at UN

Israeli, Palestinian leaders give speeches at UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the country's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and other targets. He noted that Iran's regime will eventually collapse.

Netanyahu delivered his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.

Diplomatic delegates from around the world left the chamber in protest as Netanyahu took to the podium. The Palestinian delegation had called for a boycott. Iran's delegation walked out, leaving a picture of the late military general Qassem Soleimani at their desk. Soleimani was killed in Iraq by US forces in 2020.

In his speech, Netanyahu said Iran should never be able to pursue a nuclear program. Referring to the attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and other targets, he stated, "If we hadn't done it, we'd all be dead." He added that many world leaders even thanked Israel privately for "taking out Iran's nukes."

He also said there is "good news" that "The Iranian people will be free," and "The evil regime will fall."

A pre-recorded video speech by President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine was also aired on the same day. Abbas was not attending the General Assembly as US President Donald Trump denied his visa for the second straight year.

Regarding the peace plans proposed for the Gaza Strip, including UN Security Council Resolution 2803, Abbas said the measures were aimed at achieving goals that include halting Israeli aggression and facilitating Gaza's reconstruction. He added, "We have seen none of this materialize on the ground." He called for accelerating the plan's implementation.

Abbas strongly condemned Israel's expansion of settlements in the West Bank and settler violence against Palestinian residents there.

He said, "The threat is no longer limited to undermining the two-state solution or preventing the realization of a Palestinian state; it now threatens the very lives and existence of the Palestinian people on their own homeland."

He called for urgent intervention by the UN Security Council and the implementation of a UNSC resolution that calls for a halt to all settlement activities.