Netanyahu Defends Israel at UN as Delegates Walk Out Before Election
By Antoni Slodkowski and John Irish
Israel's UN Address Amid Political and International Tensions
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mounted a forceful defense of Israel's actions in the region at the UN on Thursday, seeking to counter growing international isolation ahead of elections he could lose, as dozens of delegates streamed out.
Walkout Highlights Diplomatic Strains
The walkout underscored the competing pressures facing Netanyahu, who is battling mounting criticism abroad over the Gaza war while campaigning for reelection at home ahead of an October 27 vote.
The divisions over Israel's conduct were on display as Netanyahu began speaking, with dozens of delegates walking out in protest. He called them "moral cowards," while supporters in the gallery chanted in Hebrew: "The people of Israel live."
Netanyahu's Criticisms and Accusations
Netanyahu used his address to berate New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for calling him a war criminal, Western European leaders for what he called succumbing to "antisemitic mobs," and to accuse both Qatar and Turkey of spreading lies about Israel.
"You tried to stop me from coming here. You tried. You tried to silence me. Well, you can't silence me. You can't silence the truth," Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, said of Mamdani.
Responses from International Figures
Mamdani campaigned for office on a promise to have Netanyahu arrested for alleged war crimes should he visit the largest US city but later said he determined he lacked the legal authority to do so. This week, Mamdani described Netanyahu as "the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians."
Making his first visit to New York since Mamdani took office in January, Netanyahu said: "Here's a simple truth: Israel didn't commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide."
He accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas militants, something Mamdani has denied.
"To all those spreading these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall or in the office of the antisemitic mayor of New York, I say this: Shame on you!" Netanyahu said.
In a statement, Mamdani said: "As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians. Yet no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Qatar also rejected the accusation that it was seeking to turn public opinion against Israel, with its foreign ministry spokesperson saying on X that Netanyahu's repeated attacks on Doha sought to divert attention from responsibility for policies on the ground.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's communications director dismissed Netanyahu's accusations against against Turkey and Erdogan as baseless. "Netanyahu’s insolent and despicable remarks targeting our President cannot obscure his massacres, the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, or the legal proceedings before international law," Burhanettin Duran said in a post on X.
Netanyahu's Political Future on the Line
With general elections less than five weeks away, Netanyahu spoke for about 40 minutes in what amounted to a campaign-style speech, broadcast live in evening prime time on all four of the main Israeli television channels.
Ahead of his speech, Netanyahu's government paid to place 500 pro-Israel and anti-Iran billboards and dozens of trucks carrying messages in support of Israel across Manhattan, Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
With opinion polls showing Netanyahu's bloc trailing rivals ahead of the election, he used the speech to showcase what he described as Israel's fight on seven fronts, including the war with Iran that began with joint US-Israeli strikes in late February.
Use of Props and Rhetoric
As in past UN appearances, Netanyahu used props, holding up a pager linked to an attack that killed and wounded Iran-backed Hezbollah members in Lebanon and a Starlink satellite internet receiver he said he would leave for the Iranian delegation.
"So when they inevitably defect, they too will be able to freely tell their story on social media," he said, adding that it was only a matter of time before the Iranian authorities would be toppled by the people.
Street Protests in New York
Several hundred protesters gathered near the United Nations, with dozens blocking traffic and chanting, "Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live" and "Stop arming Israel, let Iran live." Police detained them.
Netanyahu was making a short visit to the US for his UN address and, unusually, without a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump, whom he praised during his speech.
"We will continue to defend our state. We will continue to win because we have no other choice. In this battle against the barbarians, we've had no greater partner than President Trump. I thank him. I thank him for his bold leadership," he said.
Deepening Isolation
Israel has faced deepening diplomatic isolation since launching its war in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attacks on Israel nearly three years ago.
Netanyahu is unable to travel to many countries because of an International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued against him and his then-defense minister as well as the then-military commander of Hamas in 2024.
Earlier this month, once-steadfast allies Britain, France and Canada announced sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which drew a muted response from Washington.
"The leaders of these countries have chosen to succumb to the antisemitic mobs. They've chosen weakness. They've chosen appeasement," Netanyahu said.
He played down worsening violence in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers, describing it as "a handful of young juvenile delinquents, about 150 in number, who throw stones, who chop down olive trees."
"Occasionally ... they lit some fires. I can't