Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in his address to the United Nations General Assembly Friday that “the long-suffering Iranian people will regain their freedom” and “make Iran great again,” predicting that the Middle East will look “dramatically different” in the years ahead.
Netanyahu tied his remarks to Israel’s recent battlefield victories over Iran’s terror axis, arguing that those wins have opened unprecedented possibilities for peace across the region, including with former enemies once considered beyond reach. “Many of those who wage war on Israel today will be gone tomorrow. Brave peacemakers will take their place,” he told world leaders.
The Israeli leader directly addressed Iran, stressing that its citizens would ultimately free themselves from the ayatollahs’ grip. “Nowhere will this be more true than in Iran. The long-suffering Iranian people will regain their freedom. They will Make Iran Great Again!” Netanyahu declared — a phrase that echoed a slogan familiar to many in the hall.
Netanyahu framed Israel’s strength as the guarantor of such a future, describing how October 7 and its aftermath underscored the Jewish state’s resolve to fight back against enemies that once thought Jewish blood could be shed with impunity. “Our sons and daughters fought like lions. … They were armed with the dreams of 100 generations of Jews who came before them,” he said, insisting that Israel’s victory over Hamas and Hezbollah will accelerate regional peace and expand the Abraham Accords.
The prime minister also called for direct negotiations with Lebanon if its government follows through on promises to disarm Hezbollah, and he hailed the start of serious talks with Syria’s new leadership, once unimaginable but now plausible because jihadist proxies have been defeated. He emphasized the bonds between Jews and the Druze, recalling how a Druze comrade once saved his life during his years as a special forces commander, and vowed Israel would never stand idly by while its allies face slaughter.
Netanyahu’s forward-looking message was underscored by his appeal to Arab and Muslim leaders to embrace cooperation with Israel across fields ranging from medicine and agriculture to defense and artificial intelligence. “Forward-looking Arab and Muslim leaders know that cooperating with Israel will provide them with ground-breaking Israeli technologies,” he said, suggesting that a dramatically different Middle East is now within reach.
“Two years later, the resolve of Israel and the strength of Israel burn brighter than ever,” Netanyahu concluded. “With God’s help, that strength and that resolve will lead us to a speedy victory and to a brilliant future of prosperity and peace.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
