Delegates Walk Out as Netanyahu Addresses the United Nations

NEW YORK — Dozens of delegates walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his speech on Friday. The coordinated protest highlighted opposition to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the ongoing war against Hamas.

Netanyahu addressed a largely empty chamber, where he called for the world to remember the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. He described those events as the “worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust,” in which militants killed 1,200 people. Since the war began, the Gaza Health Ministry has reported more than 65,000 Palestinian deaths across Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, while Israeli authorities have documented nearly 1,900 total deaths on their side.

The Israeli leader highlighted strong United States support during recent operations against Iran. He noted that “President Trump and I promised to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and we delivered on that promise.” Netanyahu then posed a “pop quiz” about shared adversaries, pointing to Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis for chanting “death to America.” He concluded the exercise by declaring, “Our enemies hate all of us... Israel is fighting your fight.”

Netanyahu also refuted claims that Israel has blocked humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza. He stated, “Israel has let into Gaza more than two million tons of food... one ton... for every man, woman, and child. [...] nearly 3,000 calories per person per day.” At the same time, he blamed Hamas for diverting 85 percent of incoming aid trucks, though a USAID internal review found no evidence of systematic theft by the group.

The prime minister once more opposed the creation of a Palestinian state. He contended that such a move would effectively reward Hamas and supporters of the October 7 attacks. Netanyahu warned, “Murdering Jews pays off... It’s like giving al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11th.”