Via
Algemeiner :
Below is the full transcript of remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the 2013 United Nations General Assembly.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Thank you, Mr. President.
I feel deeply honored and privileged to stand here before you today
representing the citizens of the state of Israel. We are an ancient
people. We date back nearly 4,000 years to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We
have journeyed through time. We’ve overcome the greatest of
adversities.
And we re-established our sovereign state in our ancestral homeland, the land of Israel.
Now, the Jewish people’s odyssey through time has taught us two
things: Never give up hope, always remain vigilant. Hope charts the
future. Vigilance protects it.
Today our hope for the future is challenged by a nuclear-armed Iran
that seeks our destruction. But I want you to know, that wasn’t always
the case. Some 2,500 years ago the great Persian king Cyrus ended the
Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. He issued a famous edict in which
he proclaimed the right of the Jews to return to the land of Israel
and rebuild the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. That’s a Persian decree.
And thus began an historic friendship between the Jews and the Persians
that lasted until modern times.
But in 1979 a radical regime in Tehran tried to stamp out that
friendship. As it was busy crushing the Iranian people’s hope for
democracy, it always led wild chants of “death of the Jews.”
Now, since that time, presidents of Iran have come and gone. Some
presidents were considered moderates, other hard-liners. But they’ve
all served that same unforgiving creed, that same unforgiving regime,
that creed that is espoused and enforced by the real power in Iran, the
dictator known as the supreme leader, first Ayatollah Khomeini and now
Ayatollah Khamenei.
President Rohani, like the presidents who came before him, is a
loyal servant of the regime. He was one of only six candidates the
regime permitted to run for office. See, nearly 700 other candidates
were rejected.
So what made him acceptable? Well, Rohani headed Iran’s Supreme
National Security Council from 1989 through 2003. During that time
Iran’s henchmen gunned down opposition leaders in a Berlin restaurant.
They murdered 85 people at the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
They killed 19 American soldiers by blowing up the Khobar Towers in
Saudi Arabia.
Are we to believe that Rohani, the national security adviser of Iran at the time, knew nothing about these attacks?
Of course he did, just as 30 years ago Iran’s security chiefs knew
about the bombings in Beirut that killed 241 American Marines and 58
French paratroopers.
Rohani was also Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2003 and
2005. He masterminded the — the strategy which enabled Iran to advance
its nuclear weapons program behind a smoke screen of diplomatic
engagement and very soothing rhetoric.
Now I know: Rohani doesn’t sound like Ahmadinejad. But when it comes
to Iran’s nuclear weapons program, the only difference between them is
this: Ahmadinejad was a wolf in wolf’s clothing. Rohani is a wolf in
sheep’s clothing, a wolf who thinks he can pull the eyes — the wool
over the eyes of the international community.
Well, like everyone else, I wish we could believe Rohani’s words,
but we must focus on Iran’s actions. And it’s the brazen contrast, this
extraordinary contradiction, between Rohani’s words and Iran’s actions
that is so startling. Rohani stood at this very podium last week and
praised Iranian democracy — Iranian democracies. But the regime that he
represents executes political dissidents by the hundreds and jails them
by the thousands.
Rohani spoke of, quote, “the human tragedy in Syria.” Yet, Iran
directly participates in Assad’s murder and massacre of tens of
thousands of innocent men, women and children in Syria. And that regime
is propping up a Syrian regime that just used chemical weapons against
its own people.
Rohani condemned the, quote, “violent scourge of terrorism.” Yet, in
the last three years alone, Iran has ordered, planned or perpetrated
terrorist attacks in 25 cities in five continents.
Rohani denounces, quote, “attempts to change the regional balance
through proxies.” Yet, Iran is actively destabilizing Lebanon, Yemen,
Bahrain and many other Middle Eastern countries.
Rohani promises, quote, “constructive engagement with other
countries.” Yet, two years ago, Iranian agents tried to assassinate
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in Washington, D.C. And just three weeks ago,
an Iranian agent was arrested trying to collect information for
possible attacks against the American embassy in Tel Aviv. Some
constructive engagement.
I wish I could be moved by Rohani’s invitation to join his wave — a
world against violence and extremism. Yet, the only waves Iran has
generated in the last 30 years are waves of violence and terrorism that
it has unleashed in the region and across the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish I could believe Rohani, but I don’t
because facts are stubborn things, and the facts are that Iran’s savage
record flatly contradicts Rohani’s soothing rhetoric.
Last Friday Rohani assured us that in pursuit of its nuclear
program, Iran — this is a quote — Iran has never chosen deceit and
secrecy, never chosen deceit and secrecy. Well, in 2002 Iran was caught
red-handed secretly building an underground centrifuge facility in
Natanz. And then in 2009 Iran was again caught red-handed secretly
building a huge underground nuclear facility for uranium enrichment in a
mountain near Qom.
Rohani tells us not to worry. He assures us that all of this is not
intended for nuclear weapons. Any of you believe that? If you believe
that, here’s a few questions you might want to ask. Why would a country
that claims to only want peaceful nuclear energy, why would such a
country build hidden underground enrichment facilities?
Why would a country with vast natural energy reserves invest
billions in developing nuclear energy? Why would a country intent on
merely civilian nuclear programs continue to defy multiple Security
Council resolutions and incur the tremendous cost of crippling
sanctions on its economy?
And why would a country with a peaceful nuclear program develop
intercontinental ballistic missiles, whose sole purpose is to deliver
nuclear warheads? You don’t build ICBMs to carry TNT thousands of miles
away; you build them for one purpose, to carry nuclear warheads. And
Iran is building now ICBMs that the United States says could reach this
city in three or four years.
Why would they do all this? The answer is simple. Iran is not
building a peaceful nuclear program; Iran is developing nuclear
weapons. Last year alone, Iran enriched three tons of uranium to 3 1/2
percent, doubled it stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium and added
thousands of new centrifuges, including advanced centrifuges. It also
continued work on the heavy water reactor in Iraq; that’s in order to
have another route to the bomb, a plutonium path. And since Rohani’s
election — and I stress this — this vast and feverish effort has
continued unabated.
Ladies and gentlemen, underground nuclear facilities, heavy water
reactors, advanced centrifuges, ICMBs. See, it’s not that it’s hard to
find evidence that Iran has a nuclear program, a nuclear weapons
program; it’s hard to find evidence that Iran doesn’t have a nuclear
weapons program.
Last year when I spoke here at the UN I drew a red line. Now, Iran
has been very careful not to cross that line but Iran is positioning
itself to race across that line in the future at a time of its
choosing. Iran wants to be in a position to rush forward to build
nuclear bombs before the international community can detect it and much
less prevent it.
Yet Iran faces one big problem, and that problem can be summed up in
one word: sanctions. I have argued for many years, including on this
podium, that the only way to peacefully prevent Iran from developing
nuclear weapons is to combine tough sanctions with a credible military
threat. And that policy today is bearing fruit. Thanks to the efforts
of many countries, many represented here, and under the leadership of
the United States, tough sanctions have taken a big bite off the
Iranian economy.
Oil revenues have fallen. The currency has plummeted. Banks are
hard-pressed to transfer money. So as a result, the regime is under
intense pressure from the Iranian people to get the sanctions relieved
or removed.
That’s why Rohani got elected in the first place. That’s why he
launched his charm offensive. He definitely wants to get the sanctions
lifted; I guarantee you that. But he doesn’t want to give up Iranians’
nuclear – Iran’s nuclear weapons program in return.
Now here’s a strategy to achieve this. First, smile a lot. Smiling
never hurts. Second, pay lip service to peace, democracy and tolerance.
Third, offer meaningless concessions in exchange for lifting
sanctions. And fourth, and the most important, ensure that Iran retains
sufficient nuclear material and sufficient nuclear infrastructure to
race to the bomb at a time it chooses to do so.
You know why Rohani thinks he can get away with this? I mean, this
is a ruse. It’s a ploy. Why does Rohani think he – thinks he can get
away with it? Because – because he’s gotten away with it before,
because his strategy of talking a lot and doing little has worked for
him in the past.
He even brags about this. Here’s what he said in his 2011 book about
his time as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, and I quote: “While we
were talking to the Europeans in Tehran, we were installing equipment
in Isfahan.”
Now, for those of you who don’t know, the Isfahan facility is an
indispensable part of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. That’s where
uranium ore called yellowcake is converted into an enrichable form.
Rohani boasted, and I quote, “By creating a calm environment – a calm
environment – we were able to complete the work in Isfahan.” He fooled
the world once. Now he thinks he can fool it again.
You see, Rohani thinks he can have his yellowcake and eat it too.
And he has another reason to believe that he can get away with this.
And that reason is called North Korea. Like Iran, North Korea also said
its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes. Like Iran, North Korea
also offered meaningless concessions and empty promises in return for
sanctions relief.
In 2005 North Korea agreed to a deal that was celebrated the world
over by many well-meaning people. Here’s what the New York Times
editorial had to say about it, quote: “For years now, foreign policy
insiders have pointed to North Korea as the ultimate nightmare, a
closed, hostile and paranoid dictatorship with an aggressive nuclear
weapons program. Very few could envision a successful outcome, and yet
North Korea agreed in principle this week to dismantle its nuclear
weapons program, return to the NPT, abide by the treaty’s safeguards
and admit international inspectors.”
And finally, “diplomacy, it seems, does work after all. Ladies and
gentlemen, a year later, North Korea exploded its first nuclear weapons
device.”
Yet, as dangerous as a nuclear-armed North Korea is, it pales in
comparison to the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran. A nuclear-armed Iran
would have a choke hold on the world’s main energy supplies. It would
trigger nuclear proliferation throughout the Middle East, turning the
most unstable part of the planet into a nuclear tinderbox. And for the
first time in history, it would make the specter of nuclear terrorism a
clear and present danger. A nuclear-armed Iran in the Middle East
wouldn’t be another North Korea. It would be another 50 North Koreas.
Now, I know that some in the international community think I’m
exaggerating this threat. Sure, they know that Iran’s regime leads
these chants, “death to America, death to Israel,” that it pledges to
wipe Israel off the map. But they think that this wild rhetoric is just
bluster for domestic consumption. Have these people learned nothing
from history? The last century has taught us that when a radical regime
with global ambitions gets awesome power, sooner or later its appetite
for aggression knows no bounds.
That’s the central lesson of the 20th century. And we cannot forget
it. The world may have forgotten this lesson. The Jewish people have
not.
Iran’s fanaticism is not bluster. It’s real. The fanatic regime must
never be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons. I know that the
world is weary of war. We in Israel, we know all too well the cost of
war. But history has taught us that to prevent war tomorrow, we must be
firm today.
And this raises the question, can diplomacy stop this threat? Well,
the only diplomatic solution that would work is one that fully
dismantles Iran’s nuclear weapons program and prevents it from having
one in the future.
President Obama rightly said that Iran’s conciliatory words must be
matched by transparent, verifiable and meaningful action. And to be
meaningful, a diplomatic solution would require Iran to do four things.
First, cease all uranium enrichment. This is called for by several
Security Council resolutions. Second, remove from Iran’s territory the
stockpiles of enriched uranium. Third, dismantle the infrastructure for
nuclear breakout capability, including the underground facility at Qom
and the advanced centrifuges in Natanz.
And, four, stop all work at the heavy water reactor in Iraq aimed at
the production of plutonium. These steps would put an end to Iran’s
nuclear weapons program and eliminate its breakout capability.
There are those who would readily agreed to leave Iran with a
residual capability to enrich uranium. I advise them to pay close
attention to what Rohani said in his speech to Iran’s supreme cultural
revolution — Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council. This was published
in 2005. I quote. This is what he said:
“A county that could enrich uranium to about 3.5 percent will also
have the capability to enrich it to about 90 percent. Having fuel cycle
capability virtually means that a country that possesses this
capability is able to produce nuclear weapons.” Precisely. This is why
Iran’s nuclear weapons program must be fully and verifiably dismantled.
And this is why the pressure on Iran must continue.
So here is what the international community must do: First, keep up
the sanctions. If Iran advances its nuclear weapons program during
negotiations, strengthen the sanctions.
Second, don’t agree to a partial deal. A partial deal would lift
international sanctions that have taken years to put in place in
exchange for cosmetic concessions that will take only weeks for Iran to
reverse.
Third, lift the sanctions only when Iran fully dismantles its
nuclear weapons program. My friends, the international community has
Iran on the ropes. If you want to knock out Iran’s nuclear weapons
program peacefully, don’t let up the pressure. Keep it up.
We all want to give diplomacy with Iran a chance to succeed, but
when it comes to Iran, the greater the pressure, the greater the
chance. Three decades ago, President Ronald Reagan famously advised,
“trust but verify.” When it comes to Iran’s nuclear weapons program,
here’s my advice: Distrust, dismantle and verify.
Ladies and gentlemen, Israel will never acquiesce to nuclear arms in
the hands of a rogue regime that repeatedly promises to wipe us off
the map. Against such a threat, Israel will have no choice but to
defend itself.
I want there to be no confusion on this point. Israel will not allow
Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone,
Israel will stand alone. Yet, in standing alone, Israel will know that
we will be defending many, many others.
The dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran and the emergence of other
threats in our region have led many of our Arab neighbors to recognize,
finally recognize, that Israel is not their enemy. And this affords us
the opportunity to overcome the historic animosities and build new
relationships, new friendships, new hopes.
Israel welcomes engagement with the wider Arab world. We hope that
our common interests and common challenges will help us forge a more
peaceful future. And Israel’s — continues to seek an historic
compromise with our Palestinian neighbors, one that ends our conflict
once and for all. We want peace based on security and mutual
recognition, in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the
Jewish state of Israel. I remain committed to achieving an historic
reconciliation and building a better future for Israelis and
Palestinians alike.
Now, I have no illusions about how difficult this will be to
achieve. Twenty years ago, the peace process between Israel and the
Palestinians began. Six Israeli prime ministers, myself included, have
not succeeded at achieving peace with the Palestinians. My predecessors
were prepared to make painful concessions. So am I. But so far the
Palestinian leaders haven’t been prepared to offer the painful
concessions they must make in order to end the conflict.
For peace to be achieved, the Palestinians must finally recognize the Jewish state, and Israel’s security needs must be met.
I am prepared to make an historic compromise for genuine and
enduring peace, but I will never compromise on the security of my
people and of my country, the one and only Jewish state.
Ladies and gentlemen, one cold day in the late 19th century, my
grandfather Nathan and his younger brother Judah were standing in a
railway station in the heart of Europe. They were seen by a group of
anti-Semitic hoodlums who ran towards them waving clubs, screaming
“Death to the Jews.”
My grandfather shouted to his younger brother to flee and save
himself, and he then stood alone against the raging mob to slow it
down. They beat him senseless, they left him for dead, and before he
passed out, covered in his own blood, he said to himself “What a
disgrace, what a disgrace. The descendants of the Macabees lie in the
mud powerless to defend themselves.”
He promised himself then that if he lived, he would take his family
to the Jewish homeland and help build a future for the Jewish people. I
stand here today as Israel’s prime minister because my grandfather
kept that promise.
And so many other Israelis have a similar story, a parent or a
grandparent who fled every conceivable oppression and came to Israel to
start a new life in our ancient homeland. Together we’ve transformed a
bludgeoned Jewish people, left for dead, into a vibrant, thriving
nation, a defending itself with the courage of modern Maccabees,
developing limitless possibilities for the future.
In our time the Biblical prophecies are being realized. As the
prophet Amos said, they shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them.
They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. They shall till
gardens and eat their fruit. And I will plant them upon their soil
never to be uprooted again.”
