Netanyahu Rejects Genocide Claims in UN Speech Amid Walkouts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, rejecting allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, as dozens of delegations walked out of the hall and more than 100 people were arrested at protests outside the building in New York.¹³⁴⁶

The speech

Netanyahu argued to the assembly, per the Guardian, that Israel's campaign in Gaza represented the reverse of genocide, and per the Washington Post and Associated Press, he branded accusations against his nation as "the biggest lie of the century." Scores of delegates walked out before he spoke and defended Israel's military campaigns, according to the Washington Post, while the BBC reported that dozens of delegations left the chamber as he took the stage.¹⁶⁸⁴

Per the BBC, Netanyahu justified Israel's military operations across Iran, Gaza and other parts of the Middle East, while accusing critical nations and leaders — among them Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he branded a tyrant and accused of backing Hamas. The BBC characterised these accusations against Turkey as baseless and incompatible with UN ideals, while noting that the injustices facing people in Gaza and the West Bank deeply offend humanity's conscience.⁴

Regarding settler violence in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu claimed, per MercoPress and the BBC, that those responsible bore blame for only two or three deaths this year, and the Washington Post noted he downplayed the violence, attributing it to a handful of delinquent youths. The Associated Press, however, set this claim against figures from the UN humanitarian office documenting over 1,600 settler attacks across the West Bank in 2026, alongside casualty data from the Palestinian Health Ministry.²⁴⁶⁸

Attack on Mamdani, and the mayor's response

Netanyahu described Zohran Mamdani as New York's antisemitic mayor, per MercoPress, the Guardian and the Washington Post, and the BBC reported his claim that Mamdani had left Jewish residents of the city feeling unsafe while cultivating ties with Hamas. The BBC further noted that Mamdani had earlier pledged to have Netanyahu arrested, before acknowledging he did not actually possess the power to do so.²¹⁶⁴

Mamdani responded that Netanyahu had used his address to repeat baseless claims meant to "sanitize his genocide" of Palestinians, according to the Times of Israel, and referenced the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister.⁷⁴

Protests and arrests in New York

The Guardian and CBS News reported that over 100 demonstrators were taken into custody during sizable rallies opposing Netanyahu's speech outside UN headquarters, part of a broader week of General Assembly-related protests. The NYPD said a total of 104 people were taken into custody and issued criminal summonses, according to CBS News.¹³

Per the Guardian, those taken into custody included well-known figures such as Susan Sarandon, Chelsea Manning and Caleb Hearon, while CBS News reported that police also arrested Emily Gallagher. Jewish Voice for Peace stated that the demonstration attracted hundreds of participants from New York's Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese communities, among others, and that those arrested included Darializa Avila Chevalier, Hannah Einbinder and Glennon Doyle.¹³⁵

Actor Hannah Einbinder said she was risking arrest to call for an end to US funding of the war, according to the Guardian and Jewish Voice for Peace. Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier was arrested shortly after speaking to reporters at the protest, according to the Guardian, and Aber Kawas, a state senate candidate, was also detained, according to the same report.¹⁵

CBS News reported that clashes between rival demonstrators grew tense at points, occasionally erupting into fistfights, and that a sit-in by protesters blocked traffic along First Avenue. Cynthia Nixon and other City Council members stood alongside protesters, according to CBS News, while one demonstrator, Sophie Sassoon, said criticism of Netanyahu had gone beyond disagreement with a prime minister to hostility toward the Jewish state, according to CBS News.³

Wider context

The BBC noted that an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes remains outstanding against Netanyahu, and that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spoke to the assembly remotely after Washington refused him an entry visa. The BBC also noted that Netanyahu was not arrested despite the warrant, a point Nada Tawfik was reported to have addressed.⁴

The BBC reported that Netanyahu confronts a pivotal domestic election next month, with polls showing his religious-right coalition behind, even as the US continues to arm Israel. The BBC further reported polling suggesting support for Israel among Democrats is falling and that a fracture in Republican backing has spread to parts of former President Trump's base.⁴