UN General Assembly
1985

Yesterday Israel took action against terror bases, this time in Tunisia. Israel's air force acted against the terrorists only after it became evident that the terrorists were mounting attacks from Tunis with impunity. Only last week, PLO terrorists, who were directed and commanded from Tunis, attacked an Israeli boat in Larnaca, Cyprus, and murdered three Israeli civilians in cold blood. In recent months, those headquarters were responsible for a number of seaborne attempts against our people, which were prevented by Israel's navy. We had no intention of attacking Tunisia, although that country has permitted terrorist bases to exist on its soil. We acted against murderous criminals in order to prevent the continuation of their criminal acts. The United Nations has been sadly remiss in meeting the challenge of international and PLO terror. It could and should have come out resolutely against this evil phenomenon of our time and placed it outside the pale of civilization. Instead, it has equivocated and, worse, legitimized terror in terms that have provided encouragement to the terrorists and their supporters.