In his final appearance before the U.N. General Assembly before his term expires in nine months, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a more subdued speech than in previous years. Addressing the threat of an Israeli military attack on Iran, Ahmadinejad referred to Israel as “uncivilized Zionists.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: “Arms race and intimidation by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction by the hegemonic powers have become prevalent. Testing new generations of ultra-modern weaponry and the pledge to disclose these armaments on due time is now being used as a new language of threat against nations to coerce them into accepting a new era of hegemony. Continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality.”

The United States, Canadian and Israeli delegations at the United Nations all skipped Ahmadinejad’s speech. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address the General Assembly today.