Iran condemns Netanyahu’s UN speech, says Israel using world body to justify Gaza genocide

Iran’s representative to the United Nations has sharply condemned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly, saying he used the world body as a platform to justify Israel’s military aggression against the Gaza Strip and beyond.

Nasser Asadi, third counselor at Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN, made the remarks on Thursday, the third day of the General Assembly’s annual general debate.

“This organization was founded to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Yet today, the chief architect of that very scourge, the notorious prime minister of the Israeli regime, addressed this Assembly,” Asadi said, describing Netanyahu’s appearance as “an utmost disgrace to this body.”

"This is the ultimate insult to all noble values such as justice, equality, and dignity and worth of the human person enshrined in this Organization’s Charter,” he added. 

“This is the greatest affront to the principles of humanity and the human conscience. This is a profound betrayal of the purpose and principles of this Organization. The UN was founded to preserve peace and uphold justice, not to serve as a platform for war criminals.”

He said Israel was violating the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, adding that Netanyahu’s presence at the podium stood in stark contradiction to the organization’s stated commitment to peace, justice and human dignity.

“The UN was founded to preserve peace and uphold justice, not to serve as a platform for war criminals,” he stated.

Referring to international legal proceedings involving Israel and Netanyahu, Asadi questioned how someone facing allegations before international courts could address the General Assembly.

“Does he belong at this podium to justify his crimes, or in the dock of a court of law to answer for genocide?” he asked.

Asadi highlighted the scale of destruction in Gaza, saying Israel had dropped more than 200,000 tons of explosives on the territory in less than two years, equivalent, he said, to the energy of approximately 13 Hiroshima-type nuclear bombs.

He also cited Palestinian casualty figures, saying nearly 75,000 Palestinians had been killed and around 157,000 injured. He stressed that the figures were based on international investigations and legal proceedings.

“These data are not Iranian claims,” Asadi said. “These are judicial findings and documented international legal investigations.”

The Iranian envoy pointed to proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and findings by UN investigators, saying they underscored the gravity of the Israeli crimes.

He also questioned why Netanyahu was allowed to address the General Assembly while Palestinian leaders faced restrictions on speaking there due to US obstruction.

Asadi further called for consideration of Article 6 of the UN Charter, which provides for the possibility of expelling a member that persistently violates the principles of the Charter.

“His words do not erase his deeds, nullify court findings and orders, or cleanse his record,” Asadi said.

‘Growing isolation’: 77 delegations walk out of Netanyahu’s UN speech

Scores of delegations have left the UN General Assembly hall shortly before Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech, amid growing international isolation of the occupying regime.

The Iranian envoy said Israel was responsible for occupation, aggression, apartheid, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, while describing Netanyahu and the Israeli regime as engaging in deception and disinformation and seeking to portray themselves as victims.

Asadi also said Israel was pursuing a “Greater Israel” objective, stating that its actions in Gaza, Lebanon and elsewhere in West Asia reflected a broader pattern of regional aggression.

“The Israeli regime’s illusory objective is to establish the so-called Greater Israel,” he said.

Asadi’s remarks reaffirmed Iran’s longstanding opposition to Israel’s occupation and military aggression, as well as Tehran’s condemnation of the Israeli regime’s devastating offensives in Gaza, Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.

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