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Gaza Genocide25 September, 20262 min read

Netanyahu Defends Israel’s War Against Hamas as Delegations Walk Out at UN Address

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Dozens of UN delegates walked out while Netanyahu defended Israel and rejected genocide claims. Protests outside the UN led to arrests of Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder.

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Netanyahu Defends Israel’s War Against Hamas as Delegations Walk Out at UN Address
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Netanyahu at UN, protests

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday to defend Israel's conduct in the war against Hamas and to sharply criticize New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, drawing a mix of applause and taunts as some delegations walked out.

“‘If there are any other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now,’ Netanyahu said.”
ABC

Netanyahu told the hall, "If there are any other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now," while delegates left their seats before he spoke.

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Image: 20 Minutes

Netanyahu also said, "You falsely, repeatedly accuse Israel of genocide, Mr. Mamdani," and he argued that Israel prevented genocide.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the General Assembly by video after the United States denied him a visa, and Abbas accused the Israeli government of "state terrorism" and "ethnic cleansing."

Reporting for this sectionABC

Genocide claims and walkouts

Netanyahu rejected genocide allegations in Gaza and defended Israel's military action, while dozens of United Nations delegates left the room in support of Palestine as he prepared to begin his address. Netanyahu described genocide claims as "the greatest lie of the century" and accused Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as "human shields."

Al Jazeera reported that delegates from dozens of countries walked out of the UN General Assembly hall before Netanyahu spoke, and it said the walkout highlighted Israel's isolation. Hamad AlMuftah, deputy chief of mission at the Qatari Embassy in Washington, responded to Netanyahu's claims by saying, "At a moment of profound regional and domestic political turmoil, attacking one of the countries doing the difficult work of mediation does nothing to solve the problem," as Turkey and Mamdani rejected Netanyahu's accusations.

Image from Aajil
Image: Aajil
Reporting for this sectionAfricanewsAl Jazeera

Street protests and arrests

Outside the United Nations, several hundred protesters sat in the roadway and blocked traffic, closing northbound First Avenue at East 39th Street in Manhattan for a pop-up protest as Netanyahu arrived in New York. Beth Miller of Jewish Voice for Peace said, "We have over 300 New Yorkers who are sitting in and protesting Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the United Nations General Assembly Thursday," and the NYPD warned that arrests would follow if people did not leave.

The NYPD said about 100 people did not comply with the warnings, and police placed those individuals in handcuffs and loaded them onto buses, including actress Susan Sarandon. An Anadolu Ajansı report said officials from about 70 countries left or abstained from attending the United Nations General Assembly in protest of Netanyahu's speech, and it listed countries whose representatives left the hall including Turkey, Palestine, Tunisia, Syria, Algeria, and Yemen.

Reporting for this sectionABCAnadolu Ajansı