Israeli politicians respond to Netanyahu's UN speech

After Netanyahu said that he visited six continents and joked about visiting the seventh, Antarctica, having heard penguins are pro-Israel, Israeli MK member Gilon suggested PM focus on his own job.

By GIL HOFFMAN, JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 16:15
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the UN (photo credit: AVI OHAYON - GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the UN
(photo credit: AVI OHAYON - GPO)
Israeli politicians took to Twitter on Tuesday in reaction to Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu's speech was excellent and that he represented Israel respectfully to the world.

Zionist Union MK Hilik Bar, who heads the Knesset's two-state lobby, said he agreed with every word of the speech. He then posted on his Twitter account an edited image of the prime minister of Israel pointing to a photograph of penguins under the caption ''Untouched." The original image was taken from Netanyahu's 2012 speech at the UN, when Netanyahu pointed to a Loony Tunes-like bomb cartoon describing the Iranian nuclear threat.

 

Zionist Union MK Yoel Hasson, however, was not impressed by the prime minister's speech. Hasson complained that Netanyahu has been "talking for a decade and not presenting any policy, vision, or direction." The Zionist Union MK called Netanyahu a "political coward" and stated that his speech a "missed opportunity."
Meretz MK Ilan Gilon said that before he visits Antarctica, Netanyahu should visit an Israeli psychiatric hospital, which he said was "less glamorous but more relevant to his job."
A change for Israel at the United Nations?
The Meretz MK also made fun of the part in his speech in which Netanyahu claimed UNESCO is creating "Fake History" by claiming the city of Hebron is a Palestinian heritage site. "Creating fake hysteria - that is Netanyahu's true specialty," wrote the MK on Twitter.