Netanyahu Defends Military Actions as Delegates Walk Out of UN Address

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his government’s military actions on September 24, 2026, at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

UN General Assembly Walkout and Clashing Reactions

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, dozens of diplomats streamed out of the hall in protest. Netanyahu quickly turned his attention to the departing representatives, labeling them moral cowards from the podium. While the empty seats multiplied, supporters seated in the viewing gallery stood and applauded, chanting “The people of Israel live” in Hebrew.

Photo: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The speech unfolded against a backdrop of deep international division. Netanyahu is currently subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, a restriction that limits his international travel. The timing of his appearance also coincided with a high-stakes domestic political landscape, as general elections in Israel loom less than five weeks away on October 27, 2026. Facing trailing opinion polls and mounting global scrutiny over the Gaza conflict, the Israeli leader utilized his 40-minute address—broadcast live in evening prime time across Israeli television channels—to project strength on the world stage.

Direct Confrontations With New York and Global Critics

Netanyahu used his platform to deliver sharp rebukes against several international and local figures who have criticized his administration. He singled out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, condemning the mayor’s previous campaign promises and recent statements regarding the Gaza war. Mamdani had previously described Netanyahu as the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians. In response, Netanyahu told the assembly that since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York.

Netanyahu Rips Mamdani Ahead Of UN Visit

Photo: bbc.co.uk

Mamdani’s office fired back in a statement, asserting that Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians. Beyond New York, Netanyahu criticized Western European leaders, accusing officials in Britain and France of succumbing to antisemitic mobs after those countries announced sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. He also took direct aim at Turkey and Qatar, accusing both nations of spreading false narratives about Israel’s military engagements.

About 100 Are Arrested in Protests Against Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu stated that they accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism, some colonialism, and asked who was accusing them, noting that among them were people in Britain and in France.

The remarks drew an immediate rebuttal from Ankara. According to the state-run agency Anadolu, Turkish presidency communications director Burhanettin Duran stated that Netanyahu’s use of the UN podium to level baseless accusations against Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was entirely incompatible with the UN’s ideals of peace and law.

Props, Military Fronts, and Praise for President Trump

He held up a pager to invoke the 2024 covert explosions that targeted Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon and Syria. He also displayed a Starlink satellite internet receiver, stating he would leave it behind for the Iranian delegation so that they could freely tell their story on social media when authorities are eventually toppled.

Netanyahu defends Iran war amid empty UN hall.

Throughout the address, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel has been forced to fight a demanding seven-front war over the past three years against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran, militias in Iraq and Syria, and Palestinian militants in the West Bank. He defended the joint US-Israeli air strikes launched against Tehran in February, describing the operation against Iran’s nuclear facilities as one of the easiest decisions he has ever made as prime minister.

Benjamin Netanyahu declared that in that battle against the barbarians, they had had no greater partner than President Trump, thanked him for his bold leadership, and added that he had boldly confronted an enormous danger to America, Israel, and the world.