| In his UN speech on Friday (27 September), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored that conflicts in the Middle East were a choice between "a blessing or a curse." “We face the same timeless choice that Moses put to the people of Israel thousands of years ago as we were about to enter the promised land. Moses told us that our actions will determine whether we bequeath to future generations a blessing or a curse. And that is the choice we face today,” said Netanyahu at the beginning of his speech. Standing on the podium of the UN General Assembly in New York, Netanyahu held two maps. In his right hand was a map of the Middle East with Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen painted in black and dubbed 'the curse' while in his left hand was a map showing countries painted green, including Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and even India, termed 'the blessing.' What was most conspicuous about both maps was the complete erasure of Palestine. There was no reference to its existence in the green 'blessing' map nor the black 'curse' one. Netanyahu drew a direct link between 'the curse' and Iranian influence, stressing that Iran and its allies were the source of the ongoing conflict in the region. For example, he squarely blamed Iran for the violence that continues to unfold in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. He cited Tehran's financial and military support to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen as evidence of its destabilising influence. Israel, he argued, was able to defend and avenge itself. This ability was illustrated by the powerful strike that killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in southern Beirut, a couple of hours after his speech. Reportedly Netanyahu gave the order from his New York hotel room, just before heading to the UN headquarters. After the pager blasts, this strike was the culmination of the elimination at record speed of most of the Hezbollah commanders. World leaders have warned against full-scale war in Lebanon. Even the US were reportedly unaware of the pager blasts or the strike aimed at Nasrallah, having told their Israeli friends that they were against an all-out war. | 