A wave of departure from the United Nations General Assembly hall greeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address on Thursday, as he delivered a forceful defence of Israel’s actions and criticised several of its opponents.
Netanyahu’s appearance at the 81st UN General Assembly comes amid tensions in the Middle East.
As Netanyahu stepped in, some delegates were seen in a video leaving while a loud boo could be heard across the room.
Reacting, Netanyahu said as they were departing;
“Where were you when the Iranian tyrants butchered and maimed tens of thousands of unarmed Iranian civilians?”
“If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now.”
Among those he singled out was New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom Netanyahu accused of hostility towards Israel and antisemitism.
The Israeli leader accused Mamdani of antisemitism and questioned the safety of Jewish New Yorkers under his leadership. Mamdani has previously criticised Netanyahu’s conduct in the Gaza conflict and described him as a war criminal.
Netanyahu also used the address to defend Israel’s confrontation with Iran, arguing that military action by Israel and the United States had prevented Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
He further predicted political change in Iran, while the Iranian delegation stayed away from the chamber during his speech.
At another point, Netanyahu held up a pager while speaking about Hezbollah, drawing attention to Israel’s campaign against the Lebanese militant group and the intelligence operations associated with the conflict.
His presentation also featured visual materials intended to illustrate Israel’s military capabilities and the threats it says it faces from armed groups and hostile states.
In the same vein, Netanyahu criticised Britain and France over their positions on Israel, accusing the two countries of double standards and invoking their colonial histories.
This follows the brewing disagreements within the international community over Israel’s military operations and the broader Middle East conflict.
