Defiant Netanyahu calls out enemies, allies in fiery speech to UN General Assembly - National Post
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on Sept. 24, 2026. Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty ImagesArticle contentUNITED NATIONS — Israel’s 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.
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’s first Muslim mayor and partners Britain, France and Turkey.
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.
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“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 October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks. Netanyahu denies the ICC claims.
Adding to tensions, dozens of protesters gathered near the UN. Several demonstrators were detained, including Hollywood actor Susan Sarandon.
One of Netanyahu’s fiercest critics, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was unable to attend the UN gathering after the Trump administration refused him a visa.
In a video message played ahead of Netanyahu’s speech, Abbas said, “We reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based.”
