The political responses to Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly were not long in coming. Leaders of political parties and Knesset members from across the political spectrum reacted to his words. The coalition supported the Prime Minister’s remarks delivered, but opinions are divided in the opposition.

Hours after Netanyahu’s speech in front of the UN General Assembly last night, the Israeli political establishment reacted to Netanyahu’s remarks. “Netanyahu knows how to give a speech and I agreed with a number of words, but the problem is that the world is not listening,” head of the Israeli Opposition Haim Herzog stated. “We have speeches that remain on paper.”

But there were members of the opposition that praised Netanyahu’s speech. MK Eli Yishai of Shas stated, “It was not a politician’s speech. It was a speech full of pride in the Jewish people and the country. Netanyahu’s speech is a wake-up call to the world and also a late-wak-up call that people continue to prefer to ignore.”

Likud Party members voiced similar remarks. Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee MK Ze’ev Elkin stated that he “welcomed Netanyahu’s appropriate response to the lies and slander of Mahmoud Abbas, while I call on the Prime Minister and Cabinet to move beyond words to action. It is unthinkable that Abu Mazen, who depends on us for every step along the way for everything, will continue to benefit from our help while maintaining a diplomatic and media war against us.”

MK Danny Danon also praised Netanyahu’s speech. “It is good that the Prime Minister stressed the danger that the nations of the world face with Islamist terror, which has been in our backyard for 66 years,” he stated. “This year, there was no need for various figures. The beheading videos created by ISIS illustrated the danger better than anything else.”

By Rachel Rachel Avraham/www.jerusalemonline.com