For years, critics of Benjamin Netanyahu had cautioned that Israel’s inability to resolve the Palestinian conflict would inevitably lead to a “diplomatic tsunami.” This long-feared threat became a stark reality when the Israeli Prime Minister addressed the United Nations in New York on Friday, facing immense pressure.
Just days before his speech, major nations including Australia, Britain, Canada, France, and Portugal had formally recognized a Palestinian state. This unprecedented move, stemming from their outrage over Israel’s handling of the Gaza war and a development the Israeli government, alongside the previous Trump administration, had strenuously worked to prevent, underscored the escalating international condemnation.
Adding to the diplomatic isolation, a week prior saw the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords. Instead of celebrations, Israel’s Arab partners used the occasion to publicly condemn Israel, specifically citing its failed attempt to assassinate senior Hamas negotiators during a meeting in Doha, Qatar.
The profound impact of international pressure, ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, is palpable throughout Israeli society. European countries have either imposed or threatened new economic sanctions and tariffs, while ongoing arms embargoes are hindering Israel’s efforts to resupply its military. Beyond government actions, Israeli tourists abroad are frequently met with protests and harassment, and even its national soccer teams face potential suspension from international competitions.
Despite this growing isolation, the Israeli Prime Minister remains acutely aware of the staunch support he commands from former President Trump. Consequently, his address to the General Assembly was far from contrite; instead, it was a remarkably defiant performance, delivered to a mostly empty hall as numerous delegates staged a walkout in protest.
Netanyahu openly shamed nations whose initial support for Israel following the October 7, 2023, massacre, he claimed, “buckled under the pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and antisemitic mobs.”
He pointedly accused them, stating, “When the going got tough, you caved.”
Furthermore, he vehemently criticized countries implementing economic, political, or legal sanctions against Israel. He argued that such actions were not a condemnation of Israel itself, but rather an indictment of “weak-kneed leaders who appease evil rather than support a nation whose brave soldiers guard you from the barbarians at the gate.”
With palpable bitterness, he asserted that the hasty recognition of Palestinian statehood conveyed a clear and dangerous message to Palestinians: “Murdering Jews pays off.”
This defiant posture is a recurring theme in Netanyahu’s U.N. addresses. In Israel, these speeches are consistently understood as being primarily directed at his domestic political base rather than the international community, despite being delivered in English, far from home.
Eli Groner, a former director general of the prime minister’s office, observed, “The isolation is real, but Netanyahu calculates that his domestic political base rewards defiance more than conciliation. He’s able to use international pushback as proof to Israelis that he’s the only one who won’t bend.”