Defiant Netanyahu brands Gaza genocide claims the 'biggest lie of the century' and attacks 'moral cowards' as scores of delegates walk out during fiery UN speech
Benjamin Netanyahu has branded allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza the 'biggest lie of the century' in a fiery address to the United Nations – after scores of delegates walked out as he took to the podium.
The Israeli Prime Minister was met with a mixture of cheers and boos as he approached the rostrum in New York, with large numbers of representatives getting to their feet and leaving the chamber.
A majority of the visible seats were left empty as Netanyahu began speaking, while his own delegation stood and applauded.
The scenes prompted General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman to repeatedly call for order.
But Netanyahu responded by turning his fire on those who had left, which included Spain, Ireland, Egypt and Syria among others.
'If there are any other moral cowards who haven't left this hall, please do so now,' he said.
The scenes came after the Palestinian Mission to the UN had urged member states to bring as many staff as possible into the chamber and 'collectively walk out of the assembly' when Netanyahu's name was announced.
The Palestinian message said the protest would demonstrate that nations were unwilling to be 'complicit in its genocide and war crimes and illegal occupation'.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted his nation's right to wage war against Iran in a defiant speech to world leaders at the UN General Assembly
Delegates jeered and booed, after many just walked out, and the speaker of the session shouted for order
Israel rejects allegations of genocide and war crimes and disputes claims that its presence in Palestinian territory is illegal.
Netanyahu, speaking to a largely hostile international audience, then launched an uncompromising defence of Israel's military actions in Gaza and its wider regional campaign against Iran.
He said the decision to attack Iran had been among the easiest he had ever made, while insisting Israel's military action was also protecting the very countries whose representatives had just walked out.
'In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,' Netanyahu said. 'In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran's nukes.'
Netanyahu, his voice rising in emphasis, said attacking Iran 'was one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make'.
He also used the speech to directly challenge accusations that Israel's conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide.
Allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza are not only false but 'the biggest lie of the century,' he said.
The Prime Minister pointed to what he described as Israel's efforts to protect civilians and provide aid, while accusing critics of presenting a distorted picture of the war.
Netanyahu's own team stood and applauded during his speech at the UN
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters
His address came after a week of speeches at the UN in which numerous world leaders had condemned Israel's conduct in Gaza and called for an end to the conflict.
The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.
At least 73,922 Palestinians have subsequently been killed in Israel's offensive, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government. International organisations have generally regarded the ministry's casualty figures as credible, although the figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in the overall toll.
A ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas last October brought an end to the heaviest fighting and resulted in the release of the remaining hostages, but subsequent negotiations have stalled.
Israel still controls most of Gaza and continues to conduct strikes near military-held areas, while Hamas has not disarmed or surrendered control of the territory.
Netanyahu also used the UN platform to defend Israel against criticism over violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
He dismissed what he described as exaggerated coverage of the issue, while making clear he did not approve of attacks against Palestinians.
'What [the media] cover is a handful of young juvenile delinquents, about 150 in number, who go or throw stones, who chop down olive trees,' Netanyahu said.
'I can't stand that. I won't stand for vigilantism.'
The comments come amid international criticism of Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank.
The Prime Minister also turned his attention to Britain and France, accusing both countries of hypocrisy over allegations that Israel is pursuing a colonial project.
'They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism - some colonialism.
'And who's accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God's sakes, they invented the term.'
A smiling Sarandon, who was memorably cancelled over her pro-Palestine comments, looked up to the sky serenely as she was cuffed by NYPD officers, three years after she found herself behind bars after attending a protest at the New York state Capitol in Albany
Hacks actress Hannah Einbinder - who has also famously been a vocal supporter of Palestine - was also among those reportedly taken into custody
Susan Sarandon was one of the stars detained at a protest outside of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's United Nations address
He also took aim at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has repeatedly described Netanyahu as a 'war criminal' and has called for his arrest.
'Since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York,' Netanyahu said. 'You falsely, repeatedly accuse Israel of genocide.'
Mr Mamdani has acknowledged that New York City does not have the authority to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, but has urged the US federal authorities to act.
Netanyahu's appearance came during an increasingly tense period in relations between Israel and parts of the international community, with criticism of its Gaza campaign intensifying.
Before his speech, Netanyahu had promised to use his appearance at the General Assembly to defend Israel and confront what he described as misinformation about the country's conduct.
He also invoked the October 7 attacks during his address, comparing the death toll to the September 11 attacks in the United States.
He held up a pager during the speech while recalling Israel's 2024 attack on thousands of devices used by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
The pager explosions killed 12 people, including two children, and wounded more than 3,000.
Netanyahu also thanked US President Donald Trump for taking action against Iran and vowed that Israel would continue its military campaign.
'We will continue to win because we have no other choice.'
Netanyahu's address followed a prerecorded speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was unable to travel to New York after the United States denied visas to him and other senior Palestinian officials for a second consecutive year.
The 90-year-old Palestinian leader used his address to reject any suggestion that Palestinians would leave their homeland.
'We will not leave our homeland. We will not accept displacement. And we will not allow anyone to decide our future on our behalf,' Mr Abbas said.
He also challenged countries that continue to supply Israel with weapons.
'How long will some countries continue to remain silent about Israel, or continue supplying it with weapons that it uses against our people? The world has witnessed the enormous cost in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,' Abbas said. 'What, then, is the international community waiting for before it acts to protect the Palestinian people?'
The confrontation inside the UN was mirrored by angry demonstrations on the streets of Manhattan, where protesters gathered ahead of Netanyahu's appearance.
Among those detained by NYPD officers were Hollywood actresses Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, who were taking part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the UN.
The pair were seen wearing white T-shirts bearing the words 'fund people not bombs' as police moved in to clear First Avenue.
Comedian and actor Caleb Hearon was also detained, alongside a number of New York City council members, according to reports.
More than 100 people were arrested during the demonstrations, according to protest organisers, while images showed police officers detaining protesters in the street.
The protests were among several demonstrations held in New York during Netanyahu's visit, with hundreds of people gathering outside the UN and chanting slogans calling for an end to the war.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.