- NEW: Netanyahu holds up a drawing of a bomb with a red line drawn beneath the fuse
- "We are not attempting to delegitimize them, they are trying to delegitimize us," Abbas says of Israel
- Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu denounces "libelous speeches at the U.N."
- But Netanyahu focuses speech more on "Iranian aggression" and its plans for nuclear bombs
(CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exhorted the United Nations General Assembly Thursday to draw "a clear red line" to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
In a theatrical gesture, Netanyahu held up a cartoon-like drawing of a spherical bomb and drew a red line below the fuse.
"It's not a question of whether Iran will get the bomb. The question is at what stage can we stop Iran from getting the bomb," said Netanyahu, who also accused Iran of aggression.
"I ask, given this record of Iranian aggression without nuclear weapons, just imagine Iranian aggression with nuclear weapons," the Israeli prime minister said. "Who among you would feel safe in the Middle East? Who would be safe in Europe? Who would be safe in America? Who would be safe anywhere?"
Netanyahu: No peace from libelous speech Speeches by Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas drew the most attention at the United Nations on Thursday.
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Abbas said Palestinians will continue to seek full membership status in the United Nations, but they have begun "intensive consultations" with member states about having the Palestinian Authority become a non-member state, one step up from its current status as a permanent observer.
"We are confident that the vast majority of the countries of the world support our endeavor aimed at salvaging the chances for a just peace," Abbas said. "In our endeavor, we do not seek to delegitimize an existing state -- that is Israel -- but rather to assert the state that must be realized -- that is Palestine."
Then, departing from his prepared speech, Abbas added, to applause: "We are not attempting to delegitimize them, they are trying to delegitimize us."
Speaking later, Netanyahu criticized Abbas' remarks.
"We won't solve our conflict with libelous speeches at the U.N. That's not the way to solve them. We won't solve our differences with a unilateral declaration of statehood," Israel's leader said. "We have to sit together and negotiate together in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the one and only Jewish state."
Last year, the Palestinian Authority failed in its bid to win U.N. recognition as an independent state.
In their latest initiative to seek non-member observer status, the Palestinians are likely to submit a new resolution after the November 6 U.S. presidential election in an effort to prevent the issue from becoming political fodder. Palestinian officials have expressed concern about pessimistic comments by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney about the chances for peace in the region.
In his speech Thursday, Abbas criticized Israel and said Palestinians were facing "a campaign of ethnic cleansing" in which they are being denied full access to houses of worship, schools, hospitals and housing.
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"The occupying power is also continuing its construction and expansion of settlements in different areas throughout the West Bank," he told the assembly.
Israel rejects a Palestinian state and refuses to end its occupation, Abbas said.
"I speak on behalf of an angry people," he said. "Israel continues to enjoy impunity."
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For Israel, the issue of how to respond to Iran's nuclear program has put a strain on relations between Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but Western leaders say they believe it is aimed at building a weapon.
Netanyahu has been pushing the United States to establish a clear "red line" that Iran cannot cross if it wants to avoid war.
Israel seeks international urgency, as negotiations aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions have failed to produce an agreement and the effectiveness of sanctions on Tehran remains unclear.
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CNN's Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.
Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, points to a graphic of a bomb and asks U.N. leaders to draw a "red line" on Iran's nuclear bomb plans during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 27, at U.N. headquarters in New York. The event unites more than 100 heads of state and go vernment for high-level meetings on nuclear safety, regional conflicts, health and nutrition and environment issues. 
Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, speaks during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly. 
Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and president of the Palestinian Authority, stands by a chair on Thursday after delivering his address. 
Thein Sein, president of Myanmar, speaks on Thursday. 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, takes a seat with his delegation on Wednesday, September 26, in New York. 
President of the Republic of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf sits after addressing world leaders on Wednesday. 
French President Francois Hollande, left, and his Egyptian counterpart, Mohamed Morsy, talk during a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, September 25. 
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, emir of Qatar, arrives to address the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. 
Brazilian President Dilma Vana Rousseff delivers her address to the General Assembly on Tuesday. 
The president of Libya's parliament, Mohamed al-Magariaf, attends Tuesday's speeches. 
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, standing, makes a toast during a luncheon on Tuesday as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, left, looks on. 
Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono waits to address the General Assembly on Tuesday. 
U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, September 25, in New York. 
Obama speaks at the assembly on Tuesday. 
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, center, listens to her husband speak on Tuesday. 
Afghan President Hamid Karzai attends Tuesday's speeches. 
U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, second left, arrives on Tuesday. 
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, center, arrives on Tuesday. 
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, center, arrives at the United Nations on Tuesday. 
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