Netanyahu Defends Israel's Military Campaigns at UN as Delegates Stage Walkout Ahead of Speech

Table of Contents

• You might want to know


• Main Topic


• Key Insights Table


• Afterwards...

You might want to know

1. Why did dozens of delegates leave the UN General Assembly hall during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address?

2. How have different leaders and international bodies characterized Israel's military actions in Gaza and elsewhere?

Main Topic

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful speech to the United Nations General Assembly defending his country's military operations across the Middle East, including strikes and campaigns involving Gaza and Iran. As he rose to speak, dozens of delegates staged a walkout in protest. Responding sharply to that gesture, Netanyahu said he would press on with his policies and vowed that Israel would prevail, saying, "We're going to win. We have no other choice." He went further, challenging any remaining delegates in the hall to leave if they opposed him, calling on "any other moral cowards" to depart.

The Israeli leader dismissed allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Those accusations have been amplified by various human rights groups and some international scholars; notably, the International Association of Genocide Scholars published a resolution stating that Israeli conduct in Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide in the UN convention. Israel has consistently rejected that characterization and maintains its military actions are measures of self-defence.

Earlier the same day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the General Assembly through a recorded message after being denied a US entry visa. In his remarks, Abbas warned that Israeli policies—especially the continued expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank—threaten "the very life and existence of the Palestinian people on their homeland." He argued that these actions imperil the internationally endorsed two-state solution and described conditions for Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, as involving "killing, destruction, starvation and attempts at displacement, as well as a genocidal war" by Israeli forces.

Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes, used his speech to counter critics and single out leaders and countries that have condemned Israel's actions. He ridiculed accusations that a small state like Israel could be a colonial power by pointing to nations such as Britain and France—countries with their own colonial histories—and urging incredulity at their criticisms. He also targeted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, labeling him a "tyrant" and accusing him of backing Hamas. Erdogan had earlier told the UN that the injustices in Gaza and the West Bank "deeply offends the conscience of humanity."

Netanyahu criticized political figures in the United States as well, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had previously said he would seek to arrest Netanyahu but later conceded he lacked the authority to do so. The prime minister said Mamdani's election had made many Jews in New York feel unsafe. In response, Mamdani's office issued a statement accusing Netanyahu of repeating "baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians."

Netanyahu also publicly thanked US President Donald Trump, praising what he called "bold leadership" and referencing coordinated air strikes carried out by the United States and Israel in February against targets in Iran. He framed the joint military response as an act not only of mutual protection but as an effort to "save civilisation." In late February, Israeli and US forces launched intense strikes on Iran amid allegations that Tehran was clandestinely pursuing a nuclear weapon—assertions Tehran denies. Iran later retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel and nearby Gulf states that host US military facilities.

The Israeli military began a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and left 251 others taken hostage. Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reports that more than 73,920 people have died in the territory during the campaign—figures that are cited widely but whose exactness and attribution are disputed among international observers and governments. Protests against Netanyahu's UN visit took place in New York City; several demonstrators were detained, including public figures such as actress Susan Sarandon and comedian Hannah Einbinder.

Netanyahu’s speech and the events surrounding it reflect deep and unresolved international divisions over Israel's conduct in Gaza, the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and regional security dynamics involving Iran and its neighbors. Supporters of Israel emphasize the country's right to defend itself against terrorism and hostile actors, while critics point to civilian suffering and accuse Israeli authorities of disproportionate or unlawful conduct. The debates extend into legal and diplomatic arenas, with international institutions, advocacy organizations, and national governments offering competing assessments and proposed avenues for accountability or political resolution.

Overall, the UN appearance underscored how the crisis continues to polarize world opinion: speeches and symbolic acts—such as the walkout—serve as barometers of moral and political alignment, even as leaders exchange accusations and justify military actions on security grounds. The competing narratives—the Israeli emphasis on self-defence and regional threats, and the Palestinian portrayal of existential danger and rights violations—remain at the heart of diplomatic friction and public protest.

Key Insights Table

Afterwards...

The UN exchange highlighted entrenched international divisions and foreshadowed continued diplomatic friction. Moving forward, debates over humanitarian impact, legal accountability, and political solutions—particularly the viability of a two-state outcome—will remain central. International efforts to mediate, investigate alleged abuses, and address regional security concerns are likely to intensify, even as public demonstrations and polarized rhetoric continue to shape perceptions and policy choices.