New York (GNP): Dozens of delegates walked out of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, while hundreds of protesters gathered outside UN headquarters to demonstrate against Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war.
The walkout came as Netanyahu used the UN podium to defend Israel’s military actions and reject international criticism, amid continued diplomatic pressure over the Gaza conflict and ahead of Israel’s 27 October election.
As Netanyahu approached the rostrum, representatives from numerous countries left the chamber, leaving large sections of the hall empty, while delegates who remained jeered and booed and the session’s speaker called for order.
Netanyahu responded by accusing his critics of hypocrisy and describing those opposing Israel as “moral cowards,” while rejecting allegations that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and defending its military operations in the region.
A significant portion of his address focused on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom Netanyahu criticised over his public position on Israel and the Gaza war, accusing the mayor of antisemitism and claiming Jews no longer felt safe in the city since his election.
Mamdani, who had previously said Netanyahu should face arrest over war crimes allegations before conceding he lacked the authority to enforce this, responded by accusing Netanyahu of using baseless claims to defend Israel’s actions in Gaza and pointed to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him.
The ICC said in 2024 it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes during Israel’s Gaza campaign, launched in response to Hamas’s attacks of 7 October 2023.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, one of Netanyahu’s fiercest critics, was unable to attend the UN gathering after the Trump administration denied him a visa, and instead delivered a video message rejecting what he called unlawful punitive measures against him.
Netanyahu also turned his criticism towards Britain and France over their statements against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing both countries of hypocrisy given their colonial histories.
He further addressed violence by Israeli youths against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, saying he opposed vigilantism while describing the perpetrators as a small number of juvenile delinquents.
Netanyahu accused Turkey of backing Hamas and described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a tyrant, while reserving some of his harshest language for Iran, calling it a murderous dictatorship and defending the ongoing Israeli and US military campaign against it.
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Outside the UN, Jewish and Muslim activists, Palestinian supporters, human rights campaigners and other demonstrators gathered in separate protests across Manhattan, with a major demonstration organised by Jewish Voice for Peace drawing hundreds of protesters near First Avenue and 39th Street.
Police moved to clear protesters blocking the roadway, resulting in arrests that included Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon, actor Hannah Einbinder, congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and New York City Council member Chi Ossé, with at least 30 people detained in total.
The protests reflected broader opposition to Netanyahu’s government and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, with demonstrators calling for an end to US support for Israel.
The scenes outside the UN coincided with the walkout inside the General Assembly, producing a highly visible display of opposition as Netanyahu sought to present Israel’s position before the international community.
Benjamin Netanyahu said, “If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t left this hall, please do so now.”
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
