Netanyahu lashes out at UN: You were the colonisers, stop lecturing us

The UN General Assembly session is underway, with major developments emerging one after another. Iran's president delivered a forceful speech, maintaining a stance of not bowing to the United States. As soon as Netanyahu's speech began, representatives of several countries got up and walked out.

Trump delivered what sounded like a threatening speech, while India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not present this time. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during his address to the UN General Assembly, took aim at countries that accuse Israel of colonialism. Naming Britain and France in particular, he questioned their own historical record of colonialism.

Netanyahu said that among those accusing Israel of colonialism are people from Britain and France. According to him, the colonies of these two countries were spread across the entire world. Of the British empire, it used to be said that the sun never set on it.

Netanyahu said in strong terms that the very same countries are now levelling accusations against others. He said it was like a cat going on pilgrimage after eating a hundred mice. He said Britain and France therefore had no moral right whatsoever to accuse Israel.

In his speech, Netanyahu referred to the war that followed Israel's founding and to the country's security concerns. He made his case by linking the accusations levelled over Israel's territory to questions about the country's very existence. As he spoke on this, representatives of some countries walked out of the assembly, while Netanyahu's own delegation shouted slogans in support of Israel.

Britain was badly weakened after the Second World War, following which it began withdrawing from wherever it could wind down its interests. In that era, Britain and other European countries considered themselves the most powerful in the world. As part of the same thinking of keeping India perpetually troubled, Britain took the help of some people in India to bring about the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan.

By drawing a line through a single stretch of land, that region was in effect turned into a burning pyre. Under the same policy of divide and rule, Britain handed over Palestinian land in the Middle East to Israel, so that by creating Israel among Muslim populations, peace would vanish from the Middle East.

Now, following the same steps, when those same countries are occupying land in Gaza and Lebanon, these people are trying to lecture Israel. But Britain no longer holds the same importance in international politics that it once did, and how seriously Israel takes their statements is evident from its criticism of them. This is why observers around the world appear to be advising Britain and France to face the consequences of their own actions.