'Israel's light shines brighter than ever'

Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett addressed the United Nations this week when he expressed that Israel is a lighthouse in a dark region.

The prime minister’s speech opened and closed with the theme, Israel is a “lighthouse in a stormy sea.”

Bennett called Israel “a beacon of democracy, diverse by design, innovative by nature, and eager to contribute to the world — despite being in the toughest neighbourhood on earth.”

During his speech he did not mention the Palestinians, nor did he bring up climate change, a subject that is the number one topic of world leaders at the UN. Instead, he focused on Israel’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the regional threats against Israel and the new friends Israel has made in recent months.

On COVID, Bennett explained he would not be looking to lock down his country anymore and urged other governments to move away from this way of dealing with the crisis.

“Lockdowns, restrictions, quarantines — cannot work in the long run,” Bennett said.

Instead, Bennett urged leaders to find a balance to help their nations stay safe for citizens but also to thrive in these challenging times.

“Running a country during a pandemic is not only about health. It’s about carefully balancing all aspects of life that are affected by corona, especially jobs and education.”

He explained the darkness in the region and in particular Iran. Bennett explained the threats against Israel from the various puppets of the Iranian regime, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian militants in Syria and their terrorist proxies in Gaza.

“Iran seeks to dominate the region — and seeks to do so under a nuclear umbrella,” Bennett said. “For the past three decades Iran has spread its carnage and destruction around the Middle East, country after country: Lebanon. Iraq. Syria. Yemen. And Gaza.”

Bennett urged the world to take action against the Iranian regime’s plans to acquire nuclear weapons.

“Iran’s nuclear weapon program is at a critical point. All red lines have been crossed. Inspections, ignored. All wishful thinking, proven false,” he said.

Israel’s leader warned that the world needs to stop talking and take action or Israel will be forced to act alone.

“Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning,” he said. “We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

He then spoke of the new light in the region in the form of Israel’s treaties with Egypt and Jordan along with the 2020 Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

“Alongside our old friends, we are gaining new friends — in the Middle East and beyond,” he said.

Bennett alluded to the 38 countries that boycotted “the racist, anti-Semitic, Durban conference.”

“It’s a choice between darkness and light,” Bennett concluded. “A bit of light dispels much darkness.”

“The lighthouse among the stormy seas — stands tall, stands strong, and her light shines brighter than ever.”