(NEW YORK) — An unapologetic Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, defending Israeli military actions in the Middle East while going on the attack against his political enemies.
“Devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard. It was very hard to do. But for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister,” Netanyahu asserted during his speech. “Because if we hadn’t done it, we’d all be dead!”
The atmosphere in the hall shifted sharply before the prime minister’s speech began. As he approached the podium, the room erupted in chants, cheers and boos as dozens of delegates from various countries walked out in protest.
“Before I begin, just a quick announcement: if there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu said in response.
The Israeli prime minister claimed that the leaders of many of the countries whose delegations exited had privately thanked him for hitting Iran’s nuclear sites, calling it “mind-blowing hypocrisy.”
Netanyahu used much of his lengthy speech to criticize his political opponents for spreading what he said were lies about Israel and fomenting hatred against Jews, calling foreign governments and world leaders out by name.
The prime minister also zeroed in on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him antisemitic for asserting Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack amounts to genocide.
“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,” he said. “Mr. Mamdani, since you were elected mayor of this city, many jews no longer feel safe in New York.”
Mamdani responded by accusing Netanyahu of spreading “baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians.”
“Yet no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the mayor said in a statement.
Netanyahu is expected to spend less than a day in the U.S. and return to Israel without meeting with President Trump, a stark departure from recent precedent that comes as the relationship between the two leaders has become increasingly strained.
But despite recent tension, the prime minister heaped praise on Trump — extolling his leadership and declaring that Israel had “no greater partner” in its “battle against the barbarians.”
Earlier on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly through a video message recorded in his Ramallah office because the Trump administration declined to grant him and other Palestinian officials visas to travel to New York for the gathering.
In his remarks, Abbas said Palestinians were facing a “genocidal war” and urged the international community to do more to confront Israel.
“How long will some countries continue to remain silent about Israel, or continue supplying it with weapons that it uses against our people? he asked.
“We will not leave our homeland. We will not accept displacement. And we will not allow anyone to decide our future on our behalf,” Abbas said.
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