On Thursday, September 27, 2024, despite not intending to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly High-Level Week in New York, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an appearance to deliver his speech. However, he did not come to advocate for a ceasefire as some had hoped; rather, he made it clear that Israel will not be “the lamb being led to slaughter” in the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his anger at having to attend the UN after hearing all the “lies” and “slander” directed at his country from that very place. With a firm voice and without hesitation, he emphasized, “We will not rest until we bring the remaining hostages home.”
In his approximately 35-minute address, he added, “I have a message for the tyrants in Tehran: if you attack us, we will attack you. There is no place in Iran that Israel’s long arm cannot reach, and this applies to all of the Middle East.”
He also took the opportunity to speak about the Israeli soldiers who have been at the forefront of this war since it began, noting their “incredible courage and heroic sacrifice”.
Words like ‘truce’ or ‘ceasefire’ were not even included in his speech, suggesting that Israel has no intention of reaching an agreement with Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, or anyone else it considers an enemy.
While the international community calls for a peace flag and a halt to attacks, Israel is not interested in these international efforts to reach a ceasefire.
