Dozens of United Nations delegates walked out in a show of support for Palestine on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up to address the General Assembly.
Netanyahu labeled those exiting as “moral cowards,” while supporters in the audience stood and applauded.
Throughout his speech, the prime minister defended Israel’s military actions across the Middle East, including operations in Gaza and Iran, while rejecting claims of genocide. He highlighted steps he said Israel had taken to protect Palestinian civilians, accusing Hamas of utilizing them as “human shields.”
He referred to the genocide accusations regarding Gaza as “the greatest lie of the century” and asserted that “we’d all be dead” without the combined military actions of the US and Israel targeting Iran.
Turning his focus to international critics, Netanyahu singled out Turkey as the “super spreader of anti-Semitic lies” and stated that multiple foreign nations “spent untold billions to spread lies” regarding Israel across social media networks.
He also targeted New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, criticizing him for labeling him a war criminal and attempting to prevent his arrival.
“You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth,” Netanyahu stated.
In addition, he criticized Western European leaders for giving in to “antisemitic mobs” and accused both Qatar and Turkey of circulating falsehoods about Israel.
The protest inside the hall highlighted the rising diplomatic pressure on Netanyahu as Israel faces deepening global isolation over the conflict in Gaza.
The address comes during a challenging period domestically for Netanyahu, who is actively campaigning for the upcoming October 27 election while navigating an ongoing corruption trial. Furthermore, he remains subject to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
