Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that accusations of genocide against Israel in Gaza amount to what he called the biggest lie of the century, delivering a combative address that also defended his country’s recent military action against Iran.
Netanyahu’s remarks came after a week in which numerous world leaders used their own General Assembly addresses to accuse Israel of genocide and war crimes in its Gaza campaign. As he approached the podium, a large number of delegates walked out of the chamber in protest, a demonstration organized in advance by the Palestinian Mission to the UN, which had urged member states to leave the hall en masse once Netanyahu was introduced. Others in the chamber responded with a mix of applause and jeers.
Addressing the walkout directly, Netanyahu accused the departing delegates of moral cowardice, arguing that in defending itself, Israel was also protecting many of the same countries whose representatives had just left the hall. He said several foreign leaders had privately thanked Israel for its strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, describing the decision to act against Iran as among the easiest of his career.
Netanyahu described Israel as having fought what he termed a seven-front war since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, naming Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthi movement, Iran, Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, and Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank among the parties involved.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who Netanyahu addressed directly during his remarks, said afterward that the Israeli leader had used the platform to repeat what Mamdani characterized as false claims intended to obscure the toll of the war in Gaza. Netanyahu responded to Mamdani’s earlier criticism during his speech, saying attempts to silence him would not succeed.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the Assembly earlier in the week via a pre-recorded video message after he and other senior Palestinian officials were denied visas to travel to the United States in person.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 73,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in the territory since the war began. Israel has consistently denied allegations that it has committed genocide or war crimes in Gaza, or that its settlement activity in the West Bank is unlawful, arguing its actions constitute legitimate self-defense. Netanyahu’s address came against the backdrop of the war in Gaza entering its third year, the seven-month-old conflict between Israel and Iran, and an upcoming Israeli election in which he is expected to again seek office.
