Dozens of delegates walked out of the United Nations General Assembly chamber on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, in a highly visible protest over Israel’s policies and military actions in Gaza and the wider Middle East. The walkout took place as Netanyahu arrived at the podium for his address to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The Palestinian delegation had circulated a message encouraging UN missions to leave the chamber when Netanyahu began speaking. Netanyahu responded to the departing delegates by calling them “moral cowards” and telling others who shared their views to leave as well. Members of the Israeli delegation remained in the chamber and applauded during parts of the speech, while the General Assembly president repeatedly called for order. The Israeli prime minister used his speech to defend Israel’s actions and reject allegations that the country had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of genocide and war crimes. Netanyahu described the genocide accusation as what he called “the biggest lie of the century.” Netanyahu also criticized several Western and Middle Eastern countries over their positions on Israel. He accused some European governments of giving in to what he characterized as antisemitic pressure and criticized Qatar and Turkey for their positions on the conflict. He also directly addressed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military campaign and has previously said Netanyahu should face arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of spreading false claims about Israel and said that attempts to prevent him from coming to New York had failed. Mamdani has rejected allegations that he supports Hamas. A major part of Netanyahu’s address focused on Iran. He defended Israel’s military action against Iran and said the decision to attack Iran was among the easiest decisions he had made as prime minister. He also praised U.S. President Donald Trump and described the United States as Israel’s strongest partner. Netanyahu displayed several objects during the speech, including a pager that he linked to an Israeli operation involving Hezbollah and a Starlink satellite communications device that he said could help Iranians communicate more freely. He also spoke about Israel’s military campaign against Iran and claimed that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been significantly damaged.
The speech came after several world leaders used their own UN addresses to criticize Israel’s conduct in Gaza. The diplomatic divisions were reflected inside the General Assembly chamber, where the walkout occurred just as Netanyahu began speaking. Outside the United Nations headquarters, several hundred protesters gathered to oppose Netanyahu’s visit and Israel’s military actions. Demonstrators called for an end to U.S. military support for Israel and demanded greater protection for Palestinian civilians. New York police detained more than 100 protesters during demonstrations around the UN, according to reporting from the Guardian. The controversy surrounding Netanyahu’s appearance comes amid continuing international debate over the Gaza conflict, Israel’s military operations and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory. Israel maintains that its military campaign is aimed at Hamas and that it has a right to defend itself following the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023.
The UN appearance also comes at a politically significant time for Netanyahu, with Israel scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on October 27. Reuters reported that Netanyahu’s speech was closely watched in Israel and was broadcast during prime-time television coverage. The walkout highlighted the continuing divisions within the international community over Israel’s conduct in Gaza and its broader military actions in the region. While dozens of delegations left the chamber, other countries remained in their seats as Netanyahu delivered his address. Netanyahu concluded by reaffirming his government’s commitment to Israel’s military and national-security policies, while continuing to defend the country’s actions before the international community.