Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, launched a fierce attack on Western nations that recently recognised a Palestinian state, describing their moves as a “mark of shame” during a combative address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The speech, delivered to a half-empty hall after dozens of diplomats staged a walk-out, underscored Israel’s deepening isolation on the world stage amid its ongoing war in Gaza. Outside the UN, protesters filled Times Square, denouncing Israel’s military campaign.
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Netanyahu’s remarks came just days after the UK, France, Canada, Australia and other nations formally recognised Palestinian statehood — a development that has piled pressure on Israel’s government as it faces mounting international scrutiny over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“Recognising a Palestinian state rewards terror,” Netanyahu declared. “It tells the world that murdering Jews pays off.”
He also dismissed the findings of a UN commission that concluded Israel’s actions in Gaza amounted to genocide, calling the charge “baseless” and rejecting repeated warnings from aid agencies that Israel was deliberately restricting humanitarian supplies.
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In an unusual move, Netanyahu’s office arranged for loudspeakers to broadcast his speech into Gaza from trucks positioned along the perimeter fence. He claimed Israeli intelligence had also hacked smartphones in the territory to stream his words directly — though residents contacted by the BBC said their devices had not been affected.
Addressing the families of Israeli hostages, Netanyahu promised: “We have not forgotten you, not even for a second. We will not rest until we bring all of you home.” Israel believes 48 hostages remain in Gaza, though only 20 are thought to still be alive.
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For many Gazans, however, the broadcast deepened their anger. “What does he gain by forcing us to hear him while we are struggling to survive?” asked Fadi, a resident living in a tent camp.
Netanyahu used the latter part of his address to highlight Israel’s regional confrontations, displaying a map he labelled “The Curse” to show what he described as Iranian proxy forces across the Middle East. He credited Israeli strikes with crippling Hezbollah in Lebanon, damaging the Houthis in Yemen, and weakening Hamas in Gaza.
He thanked Donald Trump, the US president, for backing Israeli strikes on Iran’s Fordo nuclear site earlier this year. “We lifted a dark cloud that could have claimed millions of lives,” Netanyahu said, drawing a direct line between Hamas’s October 7 2023 attack on Israel and the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
Adding to the drama, Trump speaking separately to journalists in New York shortly after Netanyahu’s remarks — suggested a breakthrough on Gaza could be imminent. “I think we have a deal,” he said, without providing details. His comment fuelled speculation of a possible ceasefire.
