Yesterday’s speech by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the United Nations’ (UN) General Assembly is covered by the Telegraph, Independent, i and the online editions of the Guardian and Financial Times. Netanyahu devoted his address to warning the international community against being fooled by Iranian President Rouhani’s soothing rhetoric, outlining Rouhani’s role at the centre of an Iranian regime committed to developing nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism. Netanyahu asked the world to maintain stiff sanctions against Iran until its entire nuclear programme is dismantled and pledged that Israel will stand alone if necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

In commentary surrounding Netanyahu’s speech and the wider diplomatic developments between Iran and the West during the past week, Simon Tisdall says in the Guardian that Israel finds itself in a hard place between the United States and Iran. Writing in the Independent, Robert Fisk argues that the position of Netanyahu and Israel’s right wing is isolating the country over Iran. He criticises the United States for letting Israel “off the hook.”

Meanwhile, the Times and the online editions of the Guardian, Times, Independent and Telegraph report that an international chemical weapons disarmament team arrived in Damascus yesterday, tasked with implementing last week’s UN Security Council resolution and dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. The team is set to begin locating and destroying an estimated one thousand tonnes of chemical material at sites across the country.

Israel’s newspapers are dominated by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly yesterday. In some publications, it is the sole focus of the opening several pages. The headlines in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Makor Rishon and Israel Hayom focus on Netanyahu’s pledge that if forced to do so, Israel will tackle Iran’s nuclear armament alone. Meanwhile, the Haaretz headline highlights Netanyahu’s description of Rouhani as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Israel Radio news this morning covers the response to Netanyahu’s speech from Leader of the Opposition and Labour leader Shelly Yachimovich who criticised Netanyahu’s characterisation of Iran’s nuclear development as almost solely an Israeli problem.

There is plenty of analysis of Netanyahu’s speech this morning. In Yediot Ahronot, Sima Kadmon says “he [Netanyahu] convinced me” and most probably the Israeli public at large. However, Kadmon says that “the demand for an unconditional [Iranian] surrender will not be acceptable to Obama” as there is little Western appetite for armed conflict. In Maariv, Shalom Yerushalmi also largely praises Netanyahu’s address but comments “The great question is whether we still have today the ability to act alone, or whether we have missed the boat” given that the international community appears keen to embrace Iran’s overtures.

Meanwhile, Israel Radio news reports that Netanyahu yesterday met with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who praised Netanyahu’s leadership in renewing peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. The two also reportedly discussed Iran and Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile.