UNITED STATES — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 24, 2026, criticizing multiple foreign leaders and international partners while facing an upcoming election at home.
Okay News reports that Benjamin Netanyahu attacked leaders including Iran’s leadership, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, British officials, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
During the session, dozens of global envoys walked out of the hall in protest as Netanyahu spoke, while members of the Israeli delegation applauded and the session speaker called for order. Netanyahu addressed those leaving the chamber directly.
“If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t left this hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu characterized New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as “antisemitic” and stated that “since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe.” Mamdani had previously stated an intention to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu before stating he lacked the authority to do so. The International Criminal Court stated in 2024 that it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes during military operations in Gaza following Hamas’ attacks on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu denies the allegations.
The address also contained criticisms of Britain and France regarding their opposition to Israeli policies and past historical empires. Britain and France have placed limited sanctions on Israeli exports originating from the occupied West Bank.
“They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism — some colonialism. And who’s accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God’s sakes, they invented the term,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu referred to Iran as a “murderous dictatorship” and stated that combined military actions by Israeli and United States forces over nearly seven months had prevented Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. He further stated that the fall of Iran’s leadership was not far. Iran’s government maintains control and continues to restrict access through the Strait of Hormuz.
During the presentation, Netanyahu held up a pager device similar to those engineered with explosives by Israeli intelligence services and distributed to members of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah before being detonated. He also accused Turkey of supporting Hamas and referred to Erdogan as a “tyrant.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did not attend the assembly after the United States government declined to issue a visa. In a pre-recorded video played prior to the speech, Abbas stated, “We reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based.”
Outside the United Nations headquarters, protesters gathered with banners, resulting in several detentions by law enforcement, including actor Susan Sarandon. Netanyahu is scheduled to return to Israel for the October 27, 2026 elections without formal meetings scheduled with United States officials.
