Israeli left blast Netanyahu speech

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has faced criticism for his UN General Assembly address Tuesday from deputies of Labor and the leftist Meretz party in the parliament and from the pro-Israel, pro-peace lobby J Street in Washington.

J Street released a statement expressing disappointment that Netanyahu did not spend more time addressing “the promise of a better future with the Palestinians,” especially in light of the ongoing 'peace' process.

“The prime minister’s speech to the UN General Assembly was a missed opportunity,” the organization said.

“Of its 33 minutes, he spent less than two minutes addressing the subject of peace with the Palestinians, as if to make it clear that peace is not a high priority for him."

Opposition leader Shelly Yacimovich (Labor) expressed disappointment that Netanyahu did not use the speech to make firm commitments on the Palestinian issue.

She also said his approach to Iran was incorrect. “The way to deal with Iran is to let the US lead an international effort, not by emphasizing Israel’s isolation,” Yacimovich said.

Her challenger for the Labor leadership, MK Isaac Herzog, said Netanyahu failed to address the different behavior by Iran over the past 10 days.

He said the prime minister did not provide a response to what could be a strategic change by the Islamic Republic.

Nachman Shai (from Labor) added that Netanyahu “is fighting wars of the past while the world has moved on.”

And Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On criticized Netanyahu for returning to his old rhetoric of threats and attacks.