Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A large number of diplomats walked out of the UN General Assembly hall on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address. He took the podium amid protests over his appearance in New York and mounting international criticism of Israel’s policies in the occupied West Bank.
As diplomats streamed out of the hall, some of those who remained stood and applauded. Others could be heard chanting “Am Yisrael Chai”, a Hebrew phrase meaning “The People of Israel live”.
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Netanyahu responded to those leaving by taking a swipe at them almost immediately. “If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” he said as he began his speech.
‘THEY THANKED US PRIVATELY’ FOR IRAN STRIKES
Turning to Iran, Netanyahu claimed that some of the countries whose representatives walked out had privately thanked Israel for its military action against Tehran.
“Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,” Netanyahu continued.
“In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thanked us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes. It’s hard to imagine more mind blowing hypocrisy, but that’s exactly what it is,” he said.
Defending Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Netanyahu said the decision was difficult but necessary, arguing that failing to act would have led to a much worse outcome.
“Devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard. It was very hard to do. But for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister, because if we hadn’t done it, we’d all be dead,” Netanyahu said.
The remarks referred to Israeli and US military strikes against Iran during the conflict. The US States and Israel launched the opening strikes of the war in late February, while Israel had also carried out strikes against Iran during the 12-Day War in June 2025.
Netanyahu also hit out at Britain and France over criticism of Israel, saying the two countries had accused Israel of “colonialism”.
“Britain and France accuse Israel of ‘colonialism’! For God’s sake, THEY invented the term. Give us a break,” he said.
Amid the walkout, Iran’s empty seats carried their own message. Iranian representatives left the chamber for the duration of Netanyahu’s address, leaving behind a picture of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020, on orders from President Donald Trump. The Pentagon said he was developing plans for attacks on US personnel and had been responsible for attacks against American and coalition forces in the region.
NETANYAHU TAKES AIM AT SYRIA’S LEADER
Taking another swipe at a regional leader, Netanyahu targeted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa over the Golan Heights. Referring to the 1967 war, Netanyahu said Israel had been surrounded by countries that openly sought its destruction, while claiming that Israel was not then in Judea, Samaria, Gaza or the Golan Heights.
“Mr. Sharaa, you should know that Jews have been on the Golan Heights since the days of Moses. You can read it in the Bible,” he added. Sharaa had claimed the Golan Heights as part of Syria in his UN speech on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump recognised Israeli sovereignty over the region in 2019.
‘REMEMBER THE BEEPERS?’ NETANYAHU SHOWS PAGER
Recalling Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Netanyahu pointed to the coordinated 2024 pager explosions that targeted members of the Iran-backed group.
“We pummeled Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said. “You remember the beepers? Remember these things.”
He then held up a pager at the podium as he addressed the General Assembly.
“Well, I can tell you this because Hezbollah certainly remembers them,” he added, later claiming that the group’s leaders had been left “dead” and that its “vast arsenal of 150,000 ballistic missiles and rockets, all aimed at our civilians” was “gone.”
THANKS TRUMP FOR CONFRONTING IRAN
Praising his US counterpart, Netanyahu thanked President Donald Trump for joining Israel in confronting Iran earlier this year.
“We will continue to win because we have no other choice in this battle against the barbarians,” Netanyahu said.
“We’ve had no greater partner than President Trump. I thank him. I thank him for his bold leadership. He boldly confronted an enormous danger to America, Israel and the world decades ago,” he added. His appearance in New York is notably brief. He is not staying overnight and, according to the schedule provided, has no meeting planned with anyone from the Trump administration during the visit.
Arguing that Iran’s leadership posed a big threat, Netanyahu said Trump understood the consequences of allowing Tehran’s leaders to remain “unchallenged”.
“He understood that if left unchallenged, the fanatic ayatollahs who chant Death to America, death to Israel would eventually carry out their mad fantasies,” Netanyahu also said. “So Israel and America acted together not only to protect ourselves, but to save civilization.”
NETANYAHU ACCUSES QATAR, TURKEY OF SPREADING ‘LIES’
Turning his criticism towards Qatar and Turkey, Netanyahu accused both countries of spreading what he described as “lies” about Israel.
“Several foreign countries have spent untold billions to spread lies about my country. The first to do so was Qatar, decades ago,” Netanyahu said.
“It started massively funding American universities and toxic media outlets like Al Jazeera. They did the same in Europe, by the way, and their goal was clear brainwash young minds to hate Israel, hate America, hate the West,” he added.
“This is the same Qatar that hosts the Hamas butchers of October 7th.”
Netanyahu then singled out Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing him of becoming a “super spreader of anti-semitic lies” about Israel.
“Now the latest country to become a super spreader of anti-semitic lies is Turkey’s Erdogan. Erdogan is a tyrant. He also hosts the Hamas terror chiefs. He’s murdered thousands of Kurdish civilians. He denies the Armenian genocide. He jails journalists and opposition leaders.”
“In fact, I think he holds the world’s record on this, and that’s a tough call. But I think he’s number one. He illegally occupies Northern Cyprus, an EU member, and he regularly transgresses against Greece, a NATO member. Now he wants to take over Syria,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli Prime Minister is also approaching a critical election, while Trump has yet to endorse him. Whether such an endorsement would help remains uncertain, particularly given the domestic criticism in Israel over Trump’s decision to end the war with Iran. Before his UN speech, Netanyahu met the leaders of Slovenia and Greece. During his short stay in New York, he is also scheduled to meet the leaders of Panama, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Argentina, Bolivia and Papua New Guinea.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
