Netanyahu calls Mideast conflicts choice between 'blessing or a curse,' warns about Israel's 'long arm'

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UNITED NATIONS, New York – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored the conflicts in the Middle East as a choice between "a blessing or a curse," as he warned Iran’s "tyrants" about Israel’s ability to defend and avenge itself.

"If you strike us, we will strike you," Netanyahu said. "There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that’s true of the entire Middle East: Far from being lambs led to the slaughter, Israel’s soldiers have fought back with incredible courage and with heroic sacrifice."

Netanyahu took the podium in front of a partially empty General Assembly, with some delegates walking out, but those who gathered to hear him offered raucous applause ahead of his speech. Seemingly absent from the speech was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was hosting a global health security event on the sidelines of UNGA.

He revealed that he almost did not attend the U.N. High-Level Week, but he felt a need to "set the record straight," which included laying out the choice the world faces.

Netanyahu brought several families with loved ones held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza to New York and once again called for their freedom, noting that, "I'll say this one more time, we remain focused on our sacred mission, bringing our hostages home. And we will not stop until that