Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday was marked by sharp divisions, as many delegates walked out of the hall while others in the audience cheered.
His speech came just days after several Western countries officially recognised the State of Palestine, a move he condemned in strong terms.
Netanyahu dismissed the recognition of Palestine by nations including the UK, France, Canada and Australia as a “mark of shame,” saying it sent the dangerous message that “murdering Jews pays off.”
As he spoke, dozens of diplomats left the chamber in protest, leaving large sections of the hall empty. Outside, demonstrators rallied in Times Square against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Opening his remarks, Netanyahu displayed a map labelled “The Curse,” which he said illustrated the influence of Iranian proxy groups across the region.
He outlined Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and Iran itself.
He also praised US President Donald Trump for supporting an American strike on Iran’s Fordo nuclear site in June, comparing Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel to the September 11 attacks in the United States.
The Israeli leader repeated his position that his country would never permit the creation of a Palestinian state, insisting that most Israelis shared this stance.
He rejected the recent UN commission finding that accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, describing the allegation as “baseless.” Netanyahu also denied reports from multiple UN agencies that Israel is deliberately restricting humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite a UN-backed confirmation in August that famine had struck Gaza City.
In an unusual move, Netanyahu’s office directed the Israeli military to broadcast his UN address via loudspeakers mounted on trucks along the Gaza border.
He also claimed Israeli intelligence had hacked into smartphones in Gaza to stream his words directly, though BBC sources in the territory reported no such disruptions.
Addressing the 48 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed alive, Netanyahu declared: “Our brave heroes, this is Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking to you live from the United Nations. We have not forgotten you, not even for a second. The people of Israel are with you. We will not falter, and we will not rest until we bring all of you home.”
However, the move drew criticism from both Palestinians and Israeli opposition leaders. A Gaza resident told the BBC: “What does he gain by broadcasting his speech forcibly to the besieged civilians inside the tents, except to further humiliate them?” Within Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid described Netanyahu’s performance as “a weary and whining” address overloaded with “overused gimmicks.”
Yair Golan of the Democrats party said it showed “only victimhood, sanctimoniousness, and complete blindness,” branding the loudspeaker tactic “invalid, childish, and insane.”
Netanyahu also spoke about regional diplomacy, claiming Israel was close to a de-escalation agreement with Syria and urging Lebanon to intensify efforts to disarm Hezbollah. His remarks followed Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas’s call at the UN a day earlier for renewed cooperation on a peace plan.
Shortly after Netanyahu’s speech, Donald Trump told reporters: “I think we have a deal on Gaza,” though he gave no further details. Speculation has been rising about a possible ceasefire, though independent verification of developments inside Gaza remains restricted, as foreign journalists are barred from entering without Israeli military oversight.
The war in Gaza, launched after the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed about 1,200 people and left 251 taken hostage, has since claimed more than 65,000 lives according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.