Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a strong defence of Israel at the United Nations on Thursday. Dozens of delegates walked out as he began speaking, highlighting the deep divisions over the ongoing conflict. Netanyahu called the walkout participants “moral cowards” while his supporters in the gallery chanted in Hebrew that the people of Israel live.
The speech came at a critical time. Elections in Israel are only five weeks away on October 27. Opinion polls show Netanyahu’s bloc trailing rivals. He used the global stage to push back against growing international isolation linked to the Gaza war. He spoke for about 40 minutes in a campaign-style address broadcast live across major Israeli television channels.
Netanyahu strongly criticised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had called him a war criminal and the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians. Netanyahu said Israel did not commit genocide and instead prevented one. He accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas, a claim the mayor has denied. In response, Mamdani stated that Netanyahu repeated baseless lies meant to sanitise his actions and remains subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
The prime minister also targeted Western European leaders, saying they had succumbed to antisemitic mobs. He accused Qatar and Turkiye of spreading lies about Israel. Qatar rejected the charge, saying Netanyahu’s attacks aimed to divert attention from policies on the ground.
Outside the United Nations, several hundred protesters gathered in New York. Some blocked traffic and chanted “Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live.” Police detained a number of them. Netanyahu’s government had earlier paid for hundreds of pro-Israel billboards and trucks across Manhattan.
Netanyahu described Israel’s fight on seven fronts, including the war with Iran. He held up props during the speech, including a pager linked to an attack on Hezbollah and a Starlink device he said he would leave for the Iranian delegation. He praised US President Donald Trump as a strong partner but did not hold a planned meeting with him during this short visit.
Israel continues to face widening diplomatic isolation. Netanyahu cannot travel to many countries because of International Criminal Court warrants. Recent sanctions by Britain, France and Canada on West Bank settlements added to the pressure. Netanyahu dismissed settler violence as the work of a small group of juvenile delinquents and insisted Israel remains a country of law. The walkout and protests showed how contested Israel’s position remains on the world stage ahead of the election.
