Trump: Mideast understands need for normalizing ties with Israel
Speaking at United Nations General Assembly, U.S. president urges all nations not to 'subsidize Iran's blood lust'; calls on the 'free world' to reject globalism, embrace national foundations and tells North Korea to denuclearize
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said there is a growing recognition in Middle East that countries must battle extremism, must have normalized relations between Israel and its neighbors.
Speaking at the the United Nations General Assembly, the president also called on nations around the world to tighten the economic noose around Iran's economy, saying no country should support Iran's "blood lust."
"All nations have a duty to act," Trump told the United Nations General Assembly. "No responsible government should subsidize Iran's blood lust. As long as Iran's menacing behavior continues, sanctions will not be lifted. They will be tightened."
"We want partners, not adversaries," he said.
Trump went on to urge nations around the globe to reject globalism, saying wise leaders put their own people and countries first.
"The free world must embrace its national foundations. It must not attempt to erase them or replace them," he said. "The future does not belong to globalists, the future belongs to patriots."
The 73-year-old also said the policies pushed by what he termed as "open border activists" were hurting the very people they supposedly aim to help, as he called illegal immigration one of the world's must crucial challenges.
"Today I have a message for those open border activists who cloak themselves in the rhetoric of social justice: your policies are not just. Your policies are cruel and evil," Trump told UNGA.
"You are empowering criminal organizations that prey on innocent men, women and children. You put your own false sense of virtue before the lives, wellbeing and countless innocent people," he said. "When you undermine border security, you are undermining human rights and human dignity."
Trump also had a stern message for China and its president, Xi Jinping, in what was his third annual appearance at the U.N. saying the world is watching how Beijing handles mass demonstrations in Hong Kong that has raised concerns about a potential Chinese crackdown.
"How China chooses to handle the situation will say a great deal about its role in the word in the future. We are all counting on President Xi as a great leader," he said.
The president then addressed North Korea, saying the country must denuclearize to realize its full potential.
