Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a contentious speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, simultaneously rebuking Israel’s traditional allies and its adversaries. His appearance triggered significant disruption within the chamber, with dozens of envoys walking out in protest as he began his address.
Netanyahu directed sharp criticism toward the United Kingdom and France, both of which have recently imposed limited sanctions on Israeli exports from the occupied West Bank and voiced concerns over Israel’s conduct. He accused these nations of hypocrisy regarding colonialism, stating, “For God’s sakes, they invented the term.” Despite the tensions, he expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump, praising him as a key partner in the fight against “barbarians” and highlighting joint military operations over Iran.
The Prime Minister also engaged in a public dispute with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had stated intentions to seek Netanyahu’s arrest during his visit. Netanyahu retorted, “You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me,” while denying allegations of genocide in Gaza. Mamdani dismissed the comments as baseless lies designed to sanitize what he described as the genocide of Palestinians.
Addressing the ongoing conflict with Iran, Netanyahu described the destruction of Iranian nuclear facilities as one of his most difficult yet decisive choices as prime minister. He asserted that failing to act would have resulted in mass casualties. This came in response to earlier remarks by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who highlighted a double standard in international nuclear inspections and sanctions.
Netanyahu framed the current conflict as a “seven-front war” involving Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen’s Houthis, and Iraqi militias. Quoting his late brother Yonatan, he declared, “We are going to win. We have no other choice.”
The speech occurred against the backdrop of domestic political pressure, with Israeli elections scheduled for October 27. Analysts suggest the address was aimed as much at the Israeli electorate as the international community. Ariel Cohen of the Atlantic Council noted that Netanyahu’s rhetoric was tailored for “political survival” at home rather than diplomatic engagement.
Outside the UN headquarters, activists from Jewish Voice for Peace and other groups protested, with some demonstrators detained, including actress Susan Sarandon. The protests intensified due to the ICC warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest, which was ignored during his attendance. Conversely, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was denied a visa by the Trump administration and addressed the assembly via video.
Netanyahu continues to deny charges of war crimes and genocide, despite an ICC finding in 2024 that there are reasonable grounds to believe he bears responsibility for war crimes in Gaza, where over 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.
Mamdani’s arrest threat really set the stage for this. How does the international community respond when ICC warrants are ignored so casually?
I’m surprised he openly criticized Britain and France like that. Didn’t expect such a direct confrontation at the UN podium.
Is it just me, or does this speech feel more like campaign rhetoric for October than actual diplomacy? Seems pretty obvious.
The walkouts really highlighted how isolated Israel has become among its traditional allies. Hard to ignore.