UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK — September 24, 2026 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the United Nations General ᴀssembly on Thursday to defend Israel’s military actions, confront international criticism and directly attack New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, turning what was expected to be a diplomatic speech into a highly political and contentious appearance.

Netanyahu’s speech came at a particularly sensitive moment. Israel is facing growing international criticism over its military campaign in Gaza, while Netanyahu is preparing for a national election scheduled for October 27. At the same time, his public dispute with Mamdani has become one of the most visible political confrontations surrounding his visit to New York.

As Netanyahu entered the General ᴀssembly chamber, dozens of delegates walked out in protest. The walkout highlighted the deep divisions surrounding Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the broader conflict in the Middle East. Netanyahu responded by describing those who left as “moral cowards” and continued with a speech that lasted roughly 40 minutes.

A DIRECT MESSAGE TO NEW YORK’S MAYOR

One of the most striking elements of Netanyahu’s address was his direct criticism of Zohran Mamdani, who became New York City’s mayor in January.

The dispute between the two politicians began before Netanyahu’s latest visit to New York. Mamdani had campaigned for office on a promise to have Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York over allegations of war crimes. Mamdani later said that, after examining the issue, he concluded that he did not have the legal authority to carry out such an arrest.

Mamdani has also publicly accused Netanyahu of responsibility for what he describes as catastrophic conditions facing Palestinians in Gaza. Earlier this week, Mamdani described Netanyahu as the “architect” of what he called a horrific genocide against Palestinians.

Netanyahu has rejected allegations of genocide and war crimes. In his UN speech, he directly addressed the controversy, saying that Israel had not committed genocide and instead argued that Israel had acted to prevent genocide. He also accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas, an allegation Mamdani has denied.

Netanyahu also accused Mamdani of spreading what he characterized as false information about Israel and its soldiers. He argued that criticism of Israel had contributed to an environment in which Jewish people in New York felt less safe.

Mamdani rejected Netanyahu’s characterization of his position. In a statement following the speech, he said Netanyahu had repeated what he called false claims intended to defend Israel’s actions in Gaza. He also pointed to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu, which alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity.

DELEGATES WALK OUT AS NETANYAHU TAKES THE STAGE

The reaction inside the UN General ᴀssembly was almost as significant as the speech itself.

As Netanyahu approached the podium, dozens of delegates left the chamber. Their departure was a visible expression of opposition to the Israeli government’s policies and military campaign in Gaza.

Supporters in the gallery responded differently, chanting in Hebrew in support of Israel.

Netanyahu used the moment to frame himself as someone determined to speak despite international pressure.

“You tried to stop me from coming here,” he said, according to Reuters. “You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth.”

The scene reflected the increasingly polarized international debate surrounding Israel’s war in Gaza. For Netanyahu, the walkout became part of his argument that Israel was being unfairly targeted by international critics. For opponents, it demonstrated the depth of international concern over Israel’s conduct.

Outside the UN headquarters, hundreds of protesters also gathered. Reuters images showed demonstrations and arrests surrounding Netanyahu’s appearance, adding another layer of tension to his visit to New York.

NETANYAHU’S DEFENSE OF ISRAEL

Much of Netanyahu’s speech focused on defending Israel’s military actions and rejecting accusations that Israel had deliberately targeted civilians or committed genocide.

The conflict began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages being taken, according to figures cited by Reuters.

Israel subsequently launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza aimed at Hamas. Palestinian health authorities in Gaza have reported a death toll of more than 73,000 people, although those figures include both combatants and civilians.

Israel rejects allegations that its military campaign consтιтutes genocide and says its operations are directed against Hamas militants. The Israeli government has repeatedly argued that Hamas operates among civilian populations, making military operations particularly difficult and dangerous.

The dispute over those competing claims has become one of the central international controversies surrounding the war.

In his UN address, Netanyahu sought to present Israel’s actions as necessary for national security and as part of a broader struggle against armed groups and Iran.

He also defended Israel’s decision to confront Iran directly, describing the destruction of Iranian nuclear facilities as one of the easiest decisions he had made as prime minister because, in his words, failing to act would have placed Israel in grave danger.

IRAN REMAINS A CENTRAL THEME

Iran was another major focus of Netanyahu’s speech.

For years, Netanyahu has used appearances at the United Nations to warn about Iran’s nuclear program and its support for armed groups in the region. Thursday’s speech continued that pattern.

Netanyahu argued that Israel’s confrontation with Iran was not only about Israel’s own security but also about preventing a broader regional threat.

He used visual props during the speech, continuing a tactic that has become familiar from his previous UN appearances. Reuters reported that Netanyahu held up a pager ᴀssociated with an attack involving Iran-backed Hezbollah members in Lebanon and also displayed a Starlink satellite internet receiver that he said he would leave for the Iranian delegation.

The use of props was part of a broader effort to make the speech highly visual and accessible to audiences beyond the UN chamber.

A SPEECH WITH TWO AUDIENCES

Although Netanyahu was formally addressing the international community, the speech also had a significant domestic audience in Israel.

Israel is scheduled to hold its next general election on October 27, less than five weeks after Netanyahu’s UN appearance.

Reuters reported that Netanyahu’s roughly 40-minute address was broadcast live during evening prime time on Israel’s four main television channels.

That timing gave the speech an importance beyond traditional diplomacy. Netanyahu was not only defending Israel before foreign governments; he was also presenting his record and his arguments to Israeli voters at home.

Reuters reported before the speech that some Israeli analysts viewed the UN appearance as resembling a campaign speech, particularly because Netanyahu was expected to focus on his handling of Iran, his relationship with the United States and his response to international criticism.

The upcoming election adds another dimension to the controversy. Netanyahu has been Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, but his political future remains a central issue in the election campaign.

GROWING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

Netanyahu’s UN appearance also took place against a backdrop of increasing diplomatic pressure on Israel.

Several Western governments that have historically maintained close relations with Israel have become increasingly critical of its conduct in Gaza and its policies toward the occupied West Bank.

Earlier in September, Britain, France and Canada announced sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The move added to diplomatic pressure on Netanyahu’s government. Washington’s response to those measures was comparatively restrained, according to Reuters.

Netanyahu criticized Western governments during his UN address, accusing their leaders of giving in to what he characterized as antisemitic pressure.

European governments and other critics have rejected that characterization and have argued that their criticism is directed at Israeli government policies and the humanitarian consequences of the war rather than at Jewish people.

The disagreement illustrates one of the central challenges surrounding international discussion of Israel: governments and political leaders continue to debate how to distinguish legitimate criticism of Israeli policy from antisemitism.

THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT ISSUE

Another important part of the background is Netanyahu’s legal status internationally.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, along with a warrant for his then-defense minister and one for a Hamas military leader, over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Netanyahu and the Israeli government reject the allegations.

The existence of the warrant has also affected Netanyahu’s international travel, with Reuters noting that he cannot freely travel to a number of countries because of the legal risk surrounding the ICC warrant.

The issue became particularly relevant in New York because Mamdani had previously made Netanyahu’s potential arrest part of his campaign rhetoric.

Mamdani later acknowledged that the mayor of New York does not have the authority to independently carry out such an arrest, but the dispute nevertheless became a major part of the political conversation surrounding Netanyahu’s visit.

PROTESTS OUTSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS

While the confrontation unfolded inside the UN, large demonstrations took place outside the headquarters.

Protesters gathered to oppose Netanyahu’s visit and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Reuters pH๏τographs showed demonstrators being detained by police during the protests.

The demonstrations demonstrated how the conflict has extended far beyond the Middle East.

New York, home to one of the world’s largest Jewish populations as well as a large and politically active Palestinian and Arab-American community, has become an important center for debate over Israel and the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s dispute with Mamdani has therefore taken place against a much larger political debate within the United States over Israel, Palestinian rights, antisemitism, free speech and American foreign policy.

WHAT THE SPEECH REVEALS ABOUT THE CURRENT MOMENT

Netanyahu’s UN appearance brought several conflicts together in a single event.

There was the continuing war in Gaza and the international debate over Israel’s military campaign. There was the confrontation between Netanyahu and Mamdani. There was the wider dispute between Israel and Iran. And there was Netanyahu’s domestic political battle ahead of Israel’s October election.

The unusual combination made the speech significant both diplomatically and politically.

For Netanyahu, the UN provided a global platform from which to present Israel’s position, defend his government’s actions and challenge critics. For his opponents, the same appearance provided an opportunity to highlight allegations against the Israeli government and the humanitarian consequences of the Gaza war.

The walkout by delegates, the protests outside the UN and the public confrontation with Mamdani all demonstrated how sharply divided the international debate remains.

At the same time, Netanyahu’s decision to devote substantial attention to Mamdani showed how a dispute that began in New York City had become part of a much broader international political confrontation.

A CONFRONTATION THAT EXTENDS BEYOND NEW YORK

The Netanyahu-Mamdani dispute is unlikely to be understood solely as a personal disagreement between two politicians.

It reflects larger disagreements over Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war, the role of international insтιтutions, the authority of local governments in the United States, the International Criminal Court and the boundaries between criticism of Israel and accusations of antisemitism.

Netanyahu’s appearance at the United Nations placed those disagreements on one of the world’s most prominent diplomatic stages.

With Israel’s election only weeks away, international criticism continuing and the war in Gaza remaining unresolved, Thursday’s speech was as much about Israel’s political future as it was about its current military and diplomatic position.

The immediate confrontation in New York may have lasted only one day, but the issues raised by Netanyahu, Mamdani and their critics extend far beyond the UN chamber — and remain central to the international debate over the future of Israel, the Palestinians and the wider Middle East.