Israel hardliners back Trump following anti-Iran UN speech

Israel hardliners back Trump following anti-Iran UN speech
Trump's UN speech slamming Iran and urging countries to turn their backs on globalisation has been warmly welcomed by hardliners in Israel.
2 min read
26 September, 2018
Lieberman and Bolton have become close allies [Getty]
Israel hardliners have welcomed a controversial speech to the UN by US President Donald Trump, where he told countries to back "patriotism" and reject globalisation.

Right-wing Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman praised Trump's address to the UN General Assembly late Tuesday, despite the speech sparking unintentional laughter from the audience.

"We saw an impressive speech today by US President Donald Trump at the club of hypocrites and sycophants called the 'United Nations'," Lieberman tweeted.

"For years there has not been a leader on the world state that understands the Middle East, deals with the Iranian threat and lays down red lines for [Syrian President Bashar] Assad," he added, according to Times of Israel.

During Trump's speech, the president boasted that during his two year term, "my administration has achieved more than any administration in the history of our country", leading to outbreaks of laughter.

He has also accused Iran of pursuing a "bloody agenda".

"Iran's leaders sow chaos, death and destruction," he said.

"They do not respect their neighbours or borders or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond."

Israel and Iran have clashed over the past several years, with the US also turning up the rhetoric against Tehran over the past two years.

Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon has also backed Trump's UN speech.

"While standing on the side of Israel in the struggle for stability in the Middle East, the United States leads the United Nations into a new era that ends its obsession with Israel, and pushes back against the Iranian regime," he added.