AP
The Issue: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address at the UN General Assembly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech to the United Nations of which no American politician is capable (“Bibi versus the U.N. ‘swamp,’ ” Sept. 28).
His speech was informative, intelligent and full of emotion.
He advocated Israel’s resolute position in regard to its war with Iran and its proxies.
His message was clear: Israel will not back down.
Bibi’s mastery of rhetoric and timing puts to shame the rote and unimaginative messaging of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, neither of whom can speak without a prompter.
It’s too bad so many of Israel’s adversaries left the auditorium before the comments were complete.
Had they remained, they would have learned something.
Richard Klitzberg
Princeton
Three cheers for Netanyahu for standing up to the totally corrupt United Nations.
That so many representatives walked out during his speech and refused to hear what he had to say was typical of the organization.
John Ketelsen
Ocean, NJ
The UN is losing its credibility, and the hypocrisy on display is troubling.
Last week, Netanyahu spoke at the General Assembly, yet many member states were absent.
Meanwhile, numerous leaders took the stage to condemn Israel for its actions in Gaza and Lebanon, accusing it of being the aggressor.
This isn’t a new development.
For decades, Israel has faced disproportionate criticism at the UN, with more resolutions passed against it than any other nation in the past 10 years.
Time and again, the international community has turned a blind eye to Israel’s security concerns while focusing on its responses, often ignoring the provocations that force Israel’s hand.
Such selective scrutiny, coupled with the failure to condemn violence against Israelis, only deepens the perception of bias and undermines the UN’s legitimacy.
Richard Wolff
New Rochelle
Reading about the United Nations convening in Turtle Bay had me wondering if I could recall something positive that ever coming out of that austere body.
Unfortunately, I cannot.
John Ost
Manhattan
The Issue: The centennial celebration of former President Jimmy Carter’s birth.
Former President Jimmy Carter will not escape history (“Jimmy’s just peachy at 100,” Oct. 1).
Not only is he the oldest living US president, he’s the first one to reach the age of 100 — a tough act to follow.
And whatever his failings in his one presidential term, he earned accolades in his personal life, especially in the years afterward.
This living legend has been an exceptional humanitarian and the epitome of a good American — an exemplary human being.
Just as he wanted, Carter has made his life count for something.
As a humble public servant, Carter never stopped loving and caring for others.
God bless Jimmy Carter.
JoAnn Lee Frank
Clearwater, Fla.
No question: Within 50 years or maybe less, Jimmy Carter will be celebrated as the equivalent of a Protestant saint.
History will recognize his genuine accomplishment of delicately balancing the imperatives of faith with public policy.
Gary Carter
Homer, Alaska
I hope our 39th president lives to see the first woman elected to the Oval Office, as Carter expressed was his wish.
Our nation has been made a better place thanks to the peanut farmer from Georgia.
Happy birthday, sir.
Vin Morabito
Scranton, Pa.
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