Comment: UNGA Speech Delivered by PM Netanyahu

Our final comment is PM Netanyahu's address. The Israeli Prime Minister made the proper connection between IS and Hamas (plus other Islamist Terror groups); he also fought the rumour of tensions between Israel and the United States of America (i.e. the compliment he paid to Pres. Obama for his Syria strategy); and he subtly announced Jerusalem's position regarding Samaria & Judea.

PM Binyamin Netanyahu

"They evidently don’t understand that ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree. ISIS and Hamas share a fanatical creed, which they both seek to impose well beyond the territory under their control." 

Facts are facts and it's counter-productive to reject them:

Al-Baghdadi (IS) "A day will soon come when the Muslim will walk everywhere as a master… The Muslims will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism… and destroy the idol of democracy"

Khaled Meshaal (Hamas) "We say this to the West… By Allah you will be defeated. Tomorrow our nation will sit on the throne of the world."

Ayatollah Khomeini (the symbol of the Iranian Islamic Revolution) "We will export our revolution to the entire world. Until the cry 'There is no God but Allah' will echo throughout the world over" and "We are required [by Islamic law] to struggle for establishing the Islamic state..."

Al-Qaeda shares the same global ambitions proved by the way they have created branches and affiliates in almost all corners in the world. The 5 Eyes know it, so the US State Department should just drop the act and start actually contributing to the fight against the enemy of the world's Peace & Security.

"That’s why Israel’s fight against Hamas is not just our fight. It’s your fight."

This is a message mainly to the EU, that has forgotten that Israel serves as a buffer to Europe (weakened in terms of defence and intelligence). If at each conflict against the Islamic State of Gaza, Europe will rise against Israel then it's not surprising that Jihadists feel so at ease in Europe - as we have seen last summer in London, Paris, Frankfurt etc.

"Hamas, which both targeted and hid behind civilians – that's a double war crime - Hamas is given a pass. The Human Rights Council is thus sending a clear message to terrorists everywhere: Use civilians as human shields (..) Because it works"

This is one of the portions of PM Netanyahu's speech that bothered the US State Department Spox, despite its veracity. It would be interesting to hear Jen Psaki explain how her personal opinion (since her criticism was made in the first person) is in any way relevant to those who are merely concerned with the United States of America position regarding this issue.
Did or did not Hamas commit war crimes, in the US' perspective; and will the members of UNHRC be investigated or not for perverting that international body? That's all we want to know.

"Well, I suppose it's the same moral universe where a man who wrote a dissertation of lies about the Holocaust, and who insists on a Palestine free of Jews, Judenrein, can stand at this podium and shamelessly accuse Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing."

For those who missed it, this is a reference to Mahmoud Abbas, without giving him prominence.

"But these days I think it may work the other way around: Namely that a broader rapprochement between Israel and the Arab world may help facilitate an Israeli-Palestinian peace. And therefore, to achieve that peace, we must look not only to Jerusalem and Ramallah, but also to Cairo, to Amman, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and elsewhere."

This is the most important portion of the whole speech: PM Netanyahu has turned the tables on the Arab Nations. He has practically gone over President Abbas' head, as an indication of his irrelevance (especially after he proved last week that he is no longer a viable partner for peace), and proposed to negotiate directly with the Arab Nations - the question is, did they understand the message and will they accept the proposal?

There is a historical opportunity here and if Arab states really want peace and stability in the region, the time has come for them to put their money where their mouth is. Moreover, this paragraph also echoes President Obama's suggestion, last year; reinforcing thus the Israeli-American alliance.

In Sum: PM Netanyahu refuted President Abbas' fallacies; he gave the world a glimpse of what will happen if Fatah/Hamas decide to press charges at the ICC; he showed the Jewish Right & Left Wings that US-Israel relations remain healthy despite what appears to be; and he cautioned the West against Iran's deception.

Medinat Yisrael knows that Arab leaders don't like the Jewish State, it knows Arab leaders have done everything to prevent the Jewish State from thriving; however, Israel also recognises that their efforts have turned against them and now they all face a common enemy - in partnership the region will be more stable and peaceful.

Like it or not, this was the speech of a regional leader.

(Source of Image: UN Photo Gallery)