Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful address at the United Nations in New York, firmly rejecting any notion of a Palestinian state. He denounced the recognition of Palestine by over 150 nations as ‘disgraceful’ and reiterated his commitment to ‘finish the job’ against Hamas in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu’s long-standing opposition to Palestinian statehood was underscored in his Friday speech, delivered to a mostly empty hall – a poignant symbol of Israel’s increasing diplomatic isolation. This comes amidst growing international condemnation of Israel’s actions in the devastating Gaza conflict, with several significant Western countries, including Britain, France, and Canada, having recently moved to recognize Palestine after years of hesitation.
Addressing the sparse audience, Netanyahu declared, ‘Israel will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats.’ He asserted that an independent Palestine would lead to ‘national suicide’ for Israel and would be a ‘mark of shame’ for supporting nations, a group that now encompasses most of the UN’s members.
Notably, the United States remains the only member of the UN Security Council that has not recognized Palestine.
Opening Friday’s annual UN General Assembly session, Netanyahu’s speech was met with a notably empty hall, as many delegates and leaders either hadn’t arrived, chose to boycott, or walked out. The visual of the Israeli Prime Minister receiving applause largely from his own delegation seemed to underscore growing concerns among some Israelis about the nation’s trajectory towards international pariah status.
For his trip from Israel to New York, reports indicate that Prime Minister Netanyahu opted for an unusually long flight path, deliberately avoiding the airspace of two European nations known for their strong criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
While his office offered no explanation for the hour-long detour, the Prime Minister is currently under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The avoided countries, France and Spain, are signatories to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, potentially making him vulnerable to arrest on their soil. Both the United States and Israel are not parties to this treaty.
Despite Israeli authorities reportedly securing permission to traverse French airspace, a French diplomat stated on condition of anonymity that Mr. Netanyahu appeared unwilling to take any risks.
Simultaneously, outside the UN, hundreds of protesters in New York City voiced their opposition to the Gaza war, which approaches its two-year mark. The conflict’s extensive destruction and a reported death toll exceeding 65,000 (including both civilians and combatants, according to Gaza health officials) have appalled even Israel’s closest allies. Most of the territory’s infrastructure is either destroyed or damaged, and widespread hunger persists.
Netanyahu suggested that ‘much of the world no longer remembers Oct. 7,’ referring to the Hamas-led assault on Israel that claimed 1,200 lives and ignited the Gaza war. He asserted, ‘But we remember,’ noting that 48 out of over 250 hostages taken during those attacks are still held in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.
He then recited the names of the 20 hostages still believed to be alive, stating that the conflict could cease immediately if Hamas agreed to Israel’s terms: releasing all captives, disarming, and surrendering any remaining control in the territory.
Throughout his roughly 40-minute speech, Netanyahu maintained a defiant tone, declaring Israel’s intent to relentlessly ‘hunt down’ its adversaries, whom he characterized as elements of an Iranian-led network. He detailed Israel’s recent strikes against enemies in Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen.
He even made a jest about a covert Israeli operation from the previous year, which involved detonating thousands of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, an incident that resulted in dozens killed and many more injured.
Posing the question, ‘You remember those beepers, those pagers?’ the Prime Minister quipped, ‘We paged Hezbollah and believe me they got the message.’
Regarding Gaza, Netanyahu asserted that Israel is taking ‘everything it can to get civilians out of harm’s way,’ rejecting accusations of genocide brought against his nation at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and recently supported by a UN commission.
Netanyahu argued that Israel’s civilian evacuation orders in Gaza served as evidence against genocide claims. He provocatively questioned, ‘Did the Nazis ask the Jews to kindly leave, go out?’
However, human rights organizations and experts contend that mass displacement is frequently a characteristic of genocide.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, had accused Israel of genocide and war crimes in his own UN address on Thursday. He also condemned the October 7 attack and maintained that Hamas would not participate in the governance of a future Palestinian state. Abbas delivered his speech via video, as the United States had reportedly denied him an in-person attendance visa.
Within Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, some members have advocated for the annexation of all or part of the occupied West Bank – widely considered the essential territory for a Palestinian state – and Gaza. This annexation proposal has been a central point of discussion among Arab leaders at the General Assembly, who strongly oppose such actions.
On Thursday, former President Trump, a crucial ally to Israel, declared in the Oval Office, ‘I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.’ Trump, who has expressed a desire to conclude the Gaza war and take credit for any peace agreement, added, ‘There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.’
Netanyahu, slated to meet with Trump at the White House on Monday, notably avoided mentioning annexation during his address.
In his earlier Thursday speech, Mr. Abbas had powerfully proclaimed, ‘Palestine is ours.’