Israel’s Netanyahu denounces enemies, allies in fiery UN speech

UNITED NATIONS: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a difficult reelection campaign at home, delivered a fiery UN speech Thursday (Sep 24) assailing enemies and allies alike – and sparking uproar in the chamber.

Locked in a tight race to stay in power in Oct 27 elections, Netanyahu used the global platform at the UN General Assembly to attack everyone from the leaders of Iran to New York’s first Muslim mayor and partners Britain, France and Türkiye. 

Dozens of envoys from across the world walked out, some jeering and booing, while Netanyahu’s own team stood and applauded, and the speaker of the session shouted for order.

“If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t left this hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu told those turning their backs on him.

He lashed out at New York’s popular, leftist Mayor Zohran Mamdani as “antisemitic” and claimed that “since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe”.

Mamdani had threatened to execute an ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu, before conceding he did not have the authority.

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, which responded to Hamas’ deadly Oct 7, 2023 attacks. Netanyahu denies the ICC claims.

“Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians,” Mamdani said in response. 

“Yet 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.”