UNITED NATIONS — Dozens of delegates walked out of the UN General Assembly hall on Thursday as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Tel Aviv’s actions amid growing international isolation and looming elections that could threaten his political future.
The walkout underscored the competing pressures facing Netanyahu, who is battling mounting criticism abroad over the Gaza conflict while campaigning for re-election at home ahead of an October 27 vote.
On Thursday, Netanyahu delivered a combative address inside the General Assembly, where dozens of delegations walked out as he began speaking.
The departing diplomats left large sections of the hall empty, creating a striking contrast with Netanyahu’s attempt to use the podium to present Israel’s case before the international community.
Netanyahu responded by accusing his critics of hypocrisy and calling them “moral cowards.”
He rejected allegations that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, saying Israel had prevented rather than committed genocide. He defended the country’s military actions in Gaza and elsewhere in the region.
He also devoted a significant part of his speech to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him “the antisemitic mayor of New York” and accusing him of spreading what Netanyahu described as lies about Israel.
Mamdani, who had declined to join the street protests, responded after the speech.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians,” Mamdani said.
“No lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Mamdani previously said New York City lacked the authority to enforce the ICC warrant against Netanyahu, arguing that the appropriate authorities should carry it out.
On Wednesday night, the mayor had hosted Palestinian families from Gaza at Gracie Mansion and planted an olive tree with them, saying: “May peace be our future.”
The two scenes — protesters confronting his government’s policies on the streets and diplomats leaving the hall during his address — turned Netanyahu’s brief visit to New York into a day of parallel confrontation.
Netanyahu’s stay had already been sharply shortened amid security concerns and expectations of protests. He arrived on Thursday morning, addressed the General Assembly and was scheduled to return to Israel the same evening rather than remain in New York overnight.
Outside the UN, Jewish and Muslim activists, Palestinian supporters, human-rights campaigners, progressive Jewish groups, politicians, artists and musicians took part in separate demonstrations across Manhattan. Their messages varied, but opposition to Netanyahu’s government and Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war brought many of them into the streets at the same time.
The Israeli leader’s visit came as his domestic political standing remains uncertain. With elections just weeks away, Netanyahu faces a electorate deeply divided over his handling of the war and his leadership style, while international pressure continues to mount over civilian casualties in Gaza.
Analysts suggest the UN walkout, while largely symbolic, reflects a broader erosion of Israel’s diplomatic standing under Netanyahu’s leadership — a narrative his political opponents at home are likely to seize upon in the final stretch of the campaign.
For now, Netanyahu appeared determined to project defiance rather than retreat, using his UN appearance to rally his base and frame international criticism as unjust. Whether that strategy resonates with Israeli voters will be tested at the ballot box later this month.
