Numerous country representatives walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall in New York in protest as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to address the assembly. Other delegates remained and applauded Netanyahu when he took the podium.
Netanyahu responded angrily to the departures, telling those who had stayed that they should leave if they were unwilling to hear him. “If there are still more moral cowards who have not left this hall, then please do so now,” he said. Protests against the Israeli prime minister also took place outside the UN building.
Netanyahu said Israel was defending many of the countries whose representatives had walked out. Referring to the military confrontations involving Israel, he declared: “We will win, we have no other choice.” His appearance at the General Assembly comes amid intense international criticism of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip and severe strain on Israel’s relations with other countries.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Gaza war has also placed significant pressure on Israel’s international relationships, while several countries have recognised Palestine as a state. Germany is not among them.
During his speech, Netanyahu also launched a direct attack on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, describing him as the “antisemitic mayor of New York”. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of repeatedly and falsely accusing Israel of genocide and alleged that the mayor had attempted to prevent his visit to New York and silence him.
“Now, you cannot silence me. You cannot silence the truth,” Netanyahu said.
Mamdani has previously been sharply critical of Netanyahu. He has described the Israeli prime minister as a war criminal and, during his election campaign, threatened to have Netanyahu arrested if he travelled to New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly.
Netanyahu also used his address to defend Israel’s war against Iran, including the destruction of Iranian nuclear facilities. He described the operation as extremely difficult but said the decision to carry it out had been straightforward.
“The destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities was difficult, it was a very difficult undertaking, but for me it was one of the easiest decisions I have ever had to make as prime minister – because if we had not done it, we would all be dead,” he said.
Israeli media had reported before the speech that Netanyahu’s address would also be aimed at a domestic audience. Israel is due to elect a new parliament on 27 October, and polls indicate that Netanyahu’s political bloc could face difficulty securing a majority.
