Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the United Nations on Thursday for its "deafening silence" in the wake of Iran's threats to exterminate his country, followed by 45 seconds of silent glaring at the General Assembly.
Netanyahu used his speech to sharply criticize the Iran nuclear deal led by the Obama administration, maintaining his longtime arguments that the agreement would pave Iran's path to a nuclear weapon and allow it to make good on its constant threats to destroy the Jewish state. The U.N. Security Council unanimously endorsed the deal in July.
The Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced earlier this month that in 25 years, Israel would no longer exist, and he praised his people in July for demanding death be brought to the U.S. and Israel.
"Seventy years after the murder of six million Jews, Iran's leaders promise to destroy my country, murder my people and the response from this body, the response from nearly every one of the governments represented here, has been absolutely nothing," Netanyahu said. "Utter silence. Deafening silence."
Netanyahu then looked slowly around the room with a glare fixed on his face, and there wasn't a sound in the chamber. The U.N. has been hit with charges of anti-Semitism on numerous occasions.
"Perhaps you can now understand why Israel is not joining you in celebrating this deal," he said, breaking the quiet. "If Iran's rulers were working to destroy your countries, perhaps you'd be less enthusiastic about the deal. If Iran's terror proxies were firing thousands of rockets at your cities, perhaps you'd be more measured in your praise. And if this deal were unleashing a nuclear arms race in your neighborhood, perhaps you'd be more reluctant to celebrate."
The nuclear deal provides sanctions relief to Iran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, in the amount of $100 billion. It is opposed by a majority of the American public.