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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that attacking Iran “was one of the easiest decisions I have ever had to make” and denounced as “moral cowards” the crowd of delegates who walked out of the UN General Assembly when he took the podium to speak.
“In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates have just walked out of this hall,” Netanyahu indicated. “In fact, I want you to know that many of your leaders even thank us in private for eliminating Iran’s nuclear weapons.”
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As Netanyahu walked to the dais, a mixture of cheers, boos, and mass walkouts erupted. Dozens of delegates filed out, and afterward, most of the seats remained empty.
“Order in the hall, please,” the General Assembly President, Khalilur Rahman, said repeatedly.
Netanyahu continued with his speech.
“If there are other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now,” the Israeli leader pointed out.
The Palestinian Mission to the UN had previously called on countries to “collectively walk out of the assembly” once the Israeli Prime Minister was announced.
“This will send a clear message to Netanyahu and his government that no one is willing to aid, abet, or be complicit in his genocide and war crimes and illegal occupation, which all peace-loving states and peoples demand must come to an end,” the message read.
Israel rejects accusations that it committed genocide and war crimes and that it is illegally occupying Palestinian territory. All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, but the Israeli government insists they are legal.
Hours earlier, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly and offered pre-recorded remarks from his office in Ramallah, after the United States denied him and other senior Palestinian officials visas to attend the meeting for the second year in a row.
The 90-year-old leader’s popularity at home and his relevance abroad have waned. But in his remarks, Abbas made it clear that he had no intention of remaining silent or being marginalized.
“We will not leave our homeland, we will not accept displacement, and we will not allow anyone to decide our future on our behalf,” Abbas declared.
Although world leaders have repeatedly invoked the plight of the Palestinians in speeches throughout the week, Abbas urged the international community to take more tangible actions against Israel.
“How much longer will some states remain silent before Israel or supply it with the weapons it uses against our people? The world has witnessed the tremendous cost in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” Abbas stated. He added: “What is the international community waiting for to act and protect the Palestinian people?”
Netanyahu arrived in New York in the morning. In previous years, he has used his speech both to denounce the United Nations as biased and to make Israel’s case to world leaders. His intervention—scheduled during prime time in Israel—is the centerpiece of a shortened trip to the United States that is unfolding under the shadow of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani calling him a “war criminal” and pushing for his arrest.
Mamdani has acknowledged that New York has no authority to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, but urged federal authorities to do so.
Israel has become isolated throughout the war in Gaza. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251. At least 73,922 Palestinians have died in Israel’s subsequent offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, whose figures are generally considered reliable by the international community.
A ceasefire last October halted the heaviest fighting and led to the release of the remaining hostages, but subsequent steps have since stalled. Israel maintains control of most of Gaza and continues to carry out airstrikes against Palestinians near army-controlled zones. Hamas has not disarmed or renounced power, and there has been no progress toward reconstruction in the largely destroyed territory.
As Abbas spoke, the seats of the Israeli delegation in the General Assembly hall remained empty.
“The Palestinian people are facing one of the most dangerous moments in their history,” Abbas declared.
In Gaza, he said, “neighborhoods, cities, refugee camps, institutions, schools, universities, hospitals, mosques, and churches have been destroyed. Every foundation of life and the future of entire generations has been attacked.”
Although no negotiations have been held for years, Abbas urged the international community to push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said that Palestinians could live “alongside the State of Israel”.
Netanyahu has said that no Palestinian state will be established while he is the leader of Israel and has argued that the Palestinian Authority is not a partner for peace.
Abbas stated that he could envision the creation of a Palestinian state.
“Saving the (two-state) solution begins with preserving the land on which the Palestinian state will be established,” he said, in reference to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. “We do not want another process designed merely to manage the conflict while realities on the ground change every day.”
[Publicidad]