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NEW YORK: Israel\u2019s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a difficult reelection campaign at home, delivered a fiery UN speech Thursday assailing enemies and allies alike — and sparking uproar in the chamber.<\/p>\n
Locked in a tight race to stay in power in October 27 elections, Netanyahu used the global platform at the UN General Assembly to attack everyone from the leaders of Iran to New York\u2019s first Muslim mayor and partners Britain, France and Turkey.<\/p>\n
Dozens of envoys from across the world walked out, some jeering and booing, while Netanyahu\u2019s own team stood and applauded, and the speaker of the session shouted for order.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there are any other moral cowards who haven\u2019t left this hall, please do so now,\u201d Netanyahu told those turning their backs on him.<\/p>\n
He lashed out at New York\u2019s popular, leftist Mayor Zohran Mamdani as \u201cantisemitic\u201d and claimed that \u201csince you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mamdani had threatened to execute an ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu, before conceding he did not have the authority.<\/p>\n
The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) said in 2024 it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes in the Gaza campaign. Netanyahu denies the ICC claims.<\/p>\n
\u201cNetanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians,\u201d Mamdani said in response.<\/p>\n
\u201cYet 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adding to tensions, dozens of protesters, some brandishing \u201cstop the genocide\u201d banners, gathered near the United Nations. Several demonstrators were detained, including Hollywood star actor Susan Sarandon.<\/p>\n
One of Netanyahu\u2019s fiercest critics, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was unable to attend the UN gathering after the Trump administration refused him a visa.<\/p>\n
In a video message played ahead of Netanyahu\u2019s speech, Abbas said, \u201cWe reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu attacks Britain, France<\/p>\n
Britain and France, historic partners of Israel that have become increasingly outspoken in their criticism, were also in Netanyahu\u2019s firing line.<\/p>\n
The two European nations have both imposed limited sanctions on Israeli exports from the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n
And French President Emmanuel Macron drew Israel\u2019s ire for claiming in his own UN speech that Hamas was not active in the West Bank. Hamas\u2019s stronghold has traditionally been Gaza.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu attacked Britain and France for their past colonial empires during his turn at the lectern.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism — some colonialism. And who\u2019s accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God\u2019s sakes, they invented the term,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu already had poor relations with Macron, who led a push by Western nations at last year\u2019s UN General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s \u2018murderous dictatorship\u2019<\/p>\n
Netanyahu had especially harsh language on Iran, calling it a \u201cmurderous dictatorship.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the war in which Israeli and US forces have attacked Iran for close to seven months had stopped Tehran from being able to develop nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
\u201cI vowed to prevent Iran\u2019s murderous dictatorship from developing atomic bombs, nuclear weapons aimed at destroying Israel, nuclear weapons that could threaten the entire world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said the fall of Iran\u2019s leadership, whose UN envoy displayed a portrait of slain Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani on their vacant desk, was not \u201cfar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the onslaught, Iran\u2019s government has retained control and continues to defy the United States by effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Pager bombs <\/p>\n
During his speech, Netanyahu brandished a pager device like those that Israeli intelligence reportedly engineered with explosives before having them shipped to operatives of Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.<\/p>\n
They were later detonated, maiming hundreds of Hezbollah operatives but also civilian bystanders.<\/p>\n
He accused Turkey of backing Iran-backed Islamist group Hamas, going on to call the country\u2019s leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan a \u201ctyrant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burhanettin Duran, the Turkish presidency\u2019s communications director, dismissed the comments as \u201cbaseless accusations\u201d that were \u201cincompatible\u201d with UN ideals, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu is only making a whirlwind stop in New York before rushing back to Israel, where the election campaign is in full swing. He is not scheduled to meet any top US leaders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n