He said there is a wave of condemnation of Israel when it "builds a balcony in Jerusalem" but the world was nearly silent when Iran tried to smuggle long-range missiles.
The Israeli leaders, along with defence officials, descended to this southern port city to showcase the cache of weapons allegedly seized from an Iranian arms ship some 1,500 kilometers away from Israeli shores last Wednesday.
The Israeli Premier, standing in front of cache of arms, emphasised that there are those in the world who did not want Israel to show the intercepted ordnance because they were not interested in knowing what was truly happening inside Iran, but rather to "develop the illusion that Iran has changed direction."
Taking a dig at EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton for her trip to Tehran, without taking her name, Netanyahu said it was more evidence that we live in the "era of hypocrisy".
"I heard only isolated and weak condemnation of Iran from the international community regarding this deadly shipment," he said.
"By contrast, we are witness to smiles and handshakes of representatives of the west with the representatives of Iran in Tehran at the very time that these missiles were being unloaded in Eilat."
The Israeli leader on Sunday at the weekly cabinet meeting had called upon Ashton to raise the issue during her meetings with Iranian leaders.
"This hypocrisy is not only morally wrong", he said, "but dangerous".
"This time there were long-range missiles in these containers," the Israeli Premier said adding, "in the containers in the future Iran can arm nuclear suitcases that it can send to every port in the world.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
