Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a visible protest at the United Nations General Assembly as representatives from several countries walked out of the hall when he began his address.
Despite the largely empty chamber, Netanyahu delivered a forceful defense of Israel and sharply criticized Iran, Turkey, Britain, France and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
During the speech, Netanyahu held up a pager and asked the audience whether they remembered the beepers. The gesture referred to the September 2024 explosions involving pagers used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon, an operation widely attributed to Israeli intelligence. The blasts killed Hezbollah members as well as civilians.
“Do you remember the beepers?” Netanyahu said, adding that Hezbollah certainly remembers them.
Netanyahu Highlights Israel’s Multiple Fronts
Netanyahu argued that Israel had been fighting on seven fronts over the past three years. He compared Israel’s size to New Jersey and questioned whether another country of a similar size could sustain fighting across seven fronts for such a long period.
He also claimed that Iran and other adversaries had coordinated efforts to destroy Israel. According to Netanyahu, Israel, with support from the United States, had responded with major military strikes against Iranian forces and nuclear facilities.
Sharp Criticism of Turkey and Western Countries
Netanyahu accused Turkey of supporting Hamas and criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whom he described in highly confrontational terms.
He also attacked Britain and France over accusations of colonialism directed at Israel. Netanyahu argued that Israel could not reasonably be described as a colonial power, pointing to the historical origins of the term.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was also among those targeted in Netanyahu’s remarks.
Diplomats Walk Out During Speech
The protest continued as Netanyahu spoke, with dozens of representatives leaving the chamber. Members of the Israeli delegation remained and applauded during his address.
Looking at those who remained, Netanyahu challenged other representatives to leave as well, using strongly worded language to criticize his opponents.
Netanyahu Claims Iran’s Nuclear Program Was Set Back
Netanyahu also focused heavily on Iran, accusing its government of seeking nuclear weapons that could threaten Israel and other countries.
He claimed that Israeli and U.S. military action had prevented Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and said he had made stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions a central objective.
Netanyahu further claimed that leaders from several countries had privately thanked Israel for targeting Iran’s nuclear capabilities, although he did not publicly identify those leaders.
The UNGA appearance came during a period of intense international disagreement over Israel’s military actions and its diplomatic standing. Netanyahu’s visit to New York was brief, with no scheduled meeting with a senior U.S. leader during the trip, and he was expected to return to Israel as political activity intensified at home.
