Overview
- Netanyahu delivered a roughly 40-minute address at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, and dozens of delegates left the hall in protest as he began speaking.
- During the speech he directly attacked New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, denied allegations of genocide, repeatedly criticized Western critics, and publicly thanked President Donald Trump for his support.
- Hundreds of protesters gathered near the U.N. before and during the visit, with police detaining several dozen demonstrators who blocked traffic including public figures Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder.
- The Israeli government treated the trip as an election-stage event by running a visible advertising campaign in Manhattan and using theatrical props in the speech to illustrate covert operations and press Iran.
- The visit underlined two lasting constraints: the unresolved 2024 International Criminal Court arrest warrant that limits Netanyahu’s travel and growing diplomatic isolation that could shape the Oct. 27 election and regional tensions.