Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon addressed the UN Security Council debate on the Middle East and presented new information about Iran’s presence in Syria, including an aerial photograph of an induction and recruitment center for Shia militants.
“There are over 80,000 extremists from all over the Middle East who are members of Shia militias in Syria under Iranian control,” he said. “What you see here in this image is Iran’s central induction and recruitment center in Syria. We are presenting this image to the world so you can understand the depth of Iran’s involvement in Syria. It is at this base, just over five miles from Damascus, where these dangerous extremists are trained and then assigned their missions of terror throughout Syria and the region.”
On the Iranian nuclear deal, Danon noted that in two and half weeks the United States will announce its decision regarding the fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “President Trump is focused on these important changes because he knows it will make the world safer. All the signatories of this agreement must now make a choice. Do you support these necessary changes? Or, will you choose to enable the Iranian regime that supports terror and is attempting to take over the Middle East?,” he asked.
“Israel has a very clear policy and it has been so since the administration of Prime Minister Menachem Begin. We will not allow regimes that seek our destruction to acquire nuclear weapons. Period.”
Earlier in his remarks, Danon spoke about the Hamas-driven violence being carried out at the security fence along Israel’s border with Gaza, and how the terrorist group is once again exploiting the most vulnerable of its population as human shields.
“Throughout the riots of the past month, Hamas has used innocent Palestinian women and children as human shields, while they cowered behind in safety,” he pointed out. “The terrorists are hiding while allowing, even hoping, for their people to die. This is evil in its purest form,” he said.
“Israel has an obligation to protect our citizens and we will do so while minimizing civilian casualties to the other side, but let me be clear: Israel will never apologize for defending our country. It is Hamas that is fully responsible for every Palestinian injury and death that has resulted from these incidents.”