At the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling it one of his easiest decisions. Dozens of delegates walked out in protest as he approached the podium.
Netanyahu called New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani antisemitic over Mamdani’s claim that Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack amounted to genocide. Mamdani accused Netanyahu of spreading “baseless lies” and said Netanyahu was the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu also claimed leaders of countries whose delegations left had privately thanked him for hitting Iran’s nuclear sites.
Earlier Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly by recorded video from Ramallah after the Trump administration declined to grant visas to him and other Palestinian officials. He said Palestinians faced a “genocidal war” and urged the international community to do more to confront Israel. Netanyahu was expected to spend less than a day in the US and return without meeting President Donald Trump, amid increasing strain between the two leaders.
