[VIDEO] Netanyahu’s Historic 45 Seconds of Silence, Condemning the U.N.’s ‘Utter Silence’ on Tehran’s Existential Threat to Israel

Posted: October 1, 2015 | Author: Pundit Planet | Filed under: Diplomacy, Mediasphere, War Room | Tags: Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran, Israel, Nuclear program of Iran, Prime Minister of Israel, RUSSIA, Syria, United Nations General Assembly, United States, United States Congress, Vladimir Putin, White House |1 Comment

Despite losing political ground to Obama, Israeli prime minister condemns nuclear deal, says Tehran’s threats have been met by ‘utter silence’ at global body.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu glares silently at the United Nations for 45 seconds after berating the organization for their silence in the wake of Iran’s continued threats against the Jewish state.

Carole E. Lee, Jay Solomon, and Joe Lauria report:

UNITED NATIONS— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday delivered a fiery address here condemning the Iranian nuclear deal, largely unbowed in his opposition despite losing steep political ground to President Barack Obama over the issue this year.

In his speech to the General Assembly, Mr. Netanyahu thundered that Iranian threats to destroy Israel have been met in the world body by “utter silence, deafening silence.”

He then stopped speaking for 45 seconds, panning the hall with a furrowed glare.

“Perhaps you can now understand why Israel is not joining you in celebrating this deal,” he said.

The nuclear deal, reached in July between Iran and six world powers including the U.S., passed a crucial milestone when the U.S. Congress failed to adopt a resolution of disapproval that essentially could have blocked the deal from moving forward.

Mr. Netanyahu had thrown his support behind congressional opponents of the deal, delivering a controversial speech to Congress in March and meeting repeatedly with U.S. lawmakers.

After Mr. Netanyahu’s political loss, the White House sees him as wielding less influence over the president’s agenda.

Inside the White House, officials have come to expect forceful rhetoric from Mr. Netanyahu, especially at a high-profile platform such as the U.N.

While the Israeli leader’s public denunciations have long irked Mr. Obama’s advisers, the president’s political victory on the Iran deal has blunted the impact of Mr. Netanyahu’s criticism.

“The president is proud of the strong relationship between our two countries, and the unshakable bond when it comes to our commitment to Israel’s security,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Thursday, when asked about the address.

Although as critical as ever, Mr. Netanyahu appeared to be careful in the address to maintain his ties with the U.S., something Israeli voters value….(read more)

WSJ.com

—Felicia Schwartz at the United Nations and Rory Jones in Jerusalem contributed to this article.