Netanyahu defends Gaza war at UN as diplomats walk out and New York mayor clashes over arrest threats

Walkout and speech at the General Assembly

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 24 September 2026, speaking before a mostly vacant auditorium. As he approached the podium, dozens of national delegates walked out of the hall in protest, accompanied by pro-Palestinian chants. Netanyahu addressed the departure immediately, directing his opening remarks at the diplomats who exited.

“If there are other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now.”

In his speech, Netanyahu rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza, calling them the lie of the century. He also defended Israel's military operations, noting that the decision to strike Iran was one of the easiest choices he had ever made.

Clash with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Netanyahu used the address to criticize New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of antisemitism and asserting that Jewish residents in the city no longer felt safe. Mamdani campaigned for the mayoralty in 2025 on a platform that included pledges to arrest Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court warrant issued in November 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Mamdani later acknowledged that municipal authorities lacked the legal power to execute such an arrest. During his address, Netanyahu condemned both local officials and Western leaders who he claimed yielded to hostile crowds.

“To all those who spread these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether in this hall or in the office of the antisemitic mayor of New York, I say: Shame on you!”

Minutes prior to the speech, Mamdani posted a video on social media showing him planting an olive tree at Gracie Mansion and dining with Palestinian families from Gaza. Following the speech, Mamdani rejected the antisemitism accusations, stating that Netanyahu used the UN platform to repeat baseless claims.

Remarks on West Bank violence and colonialism

Netanyahu also addressed settler attacks against Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank during his speech. He characterized the perpetrators as a faction of approximately 150 youths who throw stones and chop down olive trees. Netanyahu told the assembly that the Israeli government would not permit such actions.

“I cannot tolerate this. I will not tolerate acts of private justice.”

Turning to international criticism regarding Israeli territorial policies, Netanyahu questioned the moral authority of European governments. He stated that accusations of colonialism came from individuals in Britain and France, noting that both nations had originally coined the term colonialism. He argued that Israel's actions did not fit that definition.

Demonstrations and Palestinian addresses

Demonstrations took place in the streets surrounding the United Nations building during the address. Police detained several demonstrators protesting Netanyahu's presence, including actress Susan Sarandon. Inside the diplomatic schedule, 90-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke to the assembly via a pre-recorded video.

“We will not abandon our homeland, we will not accept displacement and we will not allow anyone to decide our future on our behalf.”

Abbas spoke by recording after the United States government denied him an entry visa for the second consecutive year. In his remarks, he urged international delegates to take concrete action regarding Israeli policies. Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesperson stated that the group was prepared to proceed to the next stages of a Gaza peace agreement, as a European Union official reported that only a small share of needed reconstruction funding had been pledged.