Netanyahu at UN: Mass walkout, attack on Mamdani and Iran threats | In Pics

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a dramatic reception at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, with dozens of delegates leaving the chamber as he began speaking. Some officials jeered and booed, while members of Netanyahu’s own delegation stood and applauded. The walkout immediately turned his address into one of the most contentious moments of the UNGA. Netanyahu responded by calling those who left “moral cowards” and challenged others who remained in the hall

A major target of Netanyahu’s speech was New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with whom the Israeli leader has been engaged in a public dispute. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of antisemitism and questioned the safety of Jewish New Yorkers under his leadership. Mamdani had previously called Netanyahu a war criminal and said he would arrest him if he had the authority, though he later acknowledged that he did not. The confrontation added a distinctly New York dimension to Netanyahu’s international address.

Iran was another central focus of Netanyahu’s UN address. He described Iran’s leadership in extremely harsh terms and argued that Israeli and US military action had prevented Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Netanyahu also predicted that Iran’s leadership would eventually fall. His remarks came as the wider Middle East remains engulfed in conflict and as the United States, Israel and Iran remain locked in a major confrontation. The Iranian delegation was notably absent from the chamber during Netanyahu’s address.

In one of the most striking visual moments of the address, Netanyahu held up a pager while discussing Israel’s confrontation with Hezbollah. The device referred to the explosive pager operation that targeted Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon. Netanyahu also used visual material during his presentation as he sought to reinforce his arguments about Israel’s military campaigns and regional adversaries. The gesture was designed to underline his broader message that Israel had used intelligence and military capabilities against groups it considers security threats.

Netanyahu did not limit his criticism to Israel’s traditional adversaries. He sharply attacked Britain and France, accusing them of hypocrisy over their criticism of Israel and pointing to their colonial histories. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also targeted, with Netanyahu calling him a “tyrant” and accusing Turkey of supporting Hamas. The remarks highlighted the increasingly strained relationship between Israel and several countries that have historically maintained diplomatic ties with the country.

While Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly inside, protesters gathered outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. Demonstrators carried banners and chanted against Israel’s military campaign, with Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon among those taking part in the protest. Several demonstrators were detained, according to reports. The demonstrations reflected the wider international controversy surrounding Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Netanyahu’s appearance at the UN, turning the streets surrounding the headquarters into another focal point of the day.

Netanyahu’s UN appearance came during a politically consequential period at home, with Israel heading toward elections on October 27. His brief New York visit was dominated by confrontation rather than diplomacy, with the walkout inside the UN, protests outside and clashes with critics including Mamdani. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, addressed the gathering through a video message after the US denied him a visa. Netanyahu left New York without a scheduled meeting with top US leaders, bringing his whirlwind UN visit to a close.