It seems that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began attacking Iran and its newly elected president, Hassan Rouhani, even before the microphone at the UN General Assembly was turned on in New York. Without a proper introduction, except for recalling millennia-old Persian-Jewish relations, the Israeli leader launched into a blistering, take-no-prisoners attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A content analysis of Netanyahu’s speech brings home his obsession with Iran and Rouhani. In his 3,124-word speech, Netanyahu mentioned “Iran” or “Iranian” 70 times. The word “Rouhani,” uttered 25 times, even topped the word “Israel,” mentioned 24 times.

The Likud prime minister used multiple arguments against Iran and Rouhani. He pulled out the card about Iran’s human rights record. He referred to a 2005 quote by Rouhani about nuclear weapons capability to illustrate what he hinted at was a worldwide trick to convince the international community that the current president of Iran is anything but a moderate. He called his “favorite” Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a “wolf in wolf’s clothing” while dubbing Rouhani a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”  

Netanyahu went back to the 19th century in citing a case of anti-Semitism against his grandfather, while not forgetting to give his due to Christian Zionists by recalling the prophesies of the Old Testament prophet Amos about Jews never again being uprooted.