Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday as many attendees walked out, defending Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank and focusing on Iran amid criticism from leaders across Europe and the Middle East.
Netanyahu referred to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, saying Israel “rose and fought like lions.” He claimed, “With our great American friends, we crushed Iran’s army, navy, air force and nuclear facilities.” He also rejected accusations of genocide, saying Israel had prevented genocide.
Before the speech, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Israel of daily violations in the West Bank; UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called its Gaza response unjustified, citing deaths and too little aid. Netanyahu accused New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani of supporting Hamas and spreading lies about Jews, calling him antisemitic after Mamdani called him a “war criminal.” Mamdani said the city could not detain Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court warrant and urged federal authorities to do so. Nearly two dozen people, including Mamdani ally Darializa Avila Chevalier, were taken into police custody at Thursday’s protests.
