Netanyahu in phone call with Ban Ki-moon: Going to Tehran is a big mistake, even if it’s with good intentions
PM tells UN secretary-general that attending non-aligned summit would boost terror and legitimize Iran’s actions
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday and told him that his anticipated trip to Tehran at the end of the month is a major mistake even if it is being made with good intentions.
“During your tenure as UN secretary-general, you have acted fairly. This is why I was so disappointed to hear about your intention to attend the non-aligned summit that will be held in Tehran at the end of the month,” said Netanyahu.
“Even if it is not your intention, your visit will grant legitimacy to a regime that is the greatest threat to world peace and security.
“Not only does it threaten countries throughout the Middle East, not only is it the greatest terrorism exporter in the world, but it is impossible to exaggerate the danger it presents to Israel. The Iranian regime is committed to the destruction of the State of Israel and openly declares its intention to destroy the State of Israel.”
Netanyahu cited Iranian leaders’ pledges to wipe Israel from the map, the country’s support for international terror through its proxies Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, and its steady progress on an illicit nuclear program.
Earlier this week, Hezbollah MP Walid Sakariya told Lebanese television this week that the nuclear weapon Iran is allegedly developing is intended to annihilate Israel.
“This nuclear weapon is intended to create a balance of terror with Israel, to finish off the Zionist enterprise, and to end all Israeli aggression against the Arab nation,” Sakariya said. He also said it would serve Syrian as well as Iranian interests by eradicating the Jewish state.
Said Netanyahu: “To reward Iran for its impudence by a visit of the UN Secretary-General would be a horrible mistake. To grant legitimacy, however unintentional, to a regime that openly calls for the elimination of another UN member state will stain you and the organization you lead… Mr. Secretary-General, your place is not in Tehran.”
