Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly as numerous international delegates exited the hall in protest. As he took the stage amid growing international pushback, a significant portion of the audience stood up and walked out. Opening his speech to a noticeably thinned crowd, Netanyahu stated, “If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now”.
Throughout his remarks, Netanyahu firmly defended his country’s military campaigns, asserting that “We will continue to defend our state. We will continue to win because we have no other choice”. He emphasized joint military achievements, noting, “With our great American friends, we crushed Iran’s army, navy, air force and nuclear facilities”. He also took the opportunity to express appreciation toward Washington, thanking President Trump for his “bold leadership”.
Addressing intense local and international criticism, Netanyahu directly responded to remarks from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing the mayor of spreading “lies” about Jewish people and making “antisemitic” claims. Expressing frustration over accusations aimed at his administration, Netanyahu declared, “Shame on you,” adding, “Shame on you for distorting the facts, shame on you for inverting victim and aggressor, shame on you for spitting in the face of truth”.
The prime minister further rejected accusations regarding military operations in the region. Strongly denying claims made by critics, Netanyahu asserted, “You falsely, repeatedly accuse Israel of genocide”. He pushed back against efforts to prevent his appearance at the international forum, stating, “You try to stop me from coming here. You try to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth. Here’s a simple truth: Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide”.
Prior to Netanyahu taking the podium, several global leaders delivered speeches sharply criticizing his administration’s actions. Addressing the assembly, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham acknowledged that the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, was “utterly horrific,” but stressed that “far too many people have died — including so many children” in the ensuing conflict. Furthermore, Netanyahu addressed ongoing violence in the West Bank, pointing out that “Hamas terrorists carry out attacks against Jews almost every day. They have murdered countless Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria”.
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