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Netanyahu Confronts U.N. Critics as Dozens of Delegates Walk Out

The prime minister’s combative defense and public rebuke of New York’s mayor exposed Israel’s diplomatic isolation and heightened electoral and security tensions.

Hannah Einbinder, center, and other demonstrators are arrested ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Madison Swart) ADDS ID
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
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Overview

  • Netanyahu, who spoke on Thursday, gave a roughly 40-minute address in which dozens of delegates left the General Assembly and he branded those departing “moral cowards.”
  • He directly attacked New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for calling him a war criminal and rejected genocide accusations while reminders of the 2024 International Criminal Court arrest warrant remain a legal constraint on his travel.
  • Hundreds of people protested outside the U.N. headquarters in New York and police detained dozens of demonstrators, including high-profile figures reported among those arrested.
  • Netanyahu used visual props and emphasized strikes on Iran while praising President Trump, and his UN appearance was widely framed as a campaign-style effort ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election.
  • The showdown unfolded alongside separate regional flashpoints, including a projectile strike on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz and a U.S.-backed $2.45 billion Board of Peace plan to start Gaza reconstruction, underscoring wider security and humanitarian challenges.