Israel's Netanyahu says must ‘finish job’ in Gaza as delegates stage walkout at UNGA
Reacting to Palestine's statehood, Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday delivered a defiant speech to fellow world leaders despite the growing protest and criticism against him. In his 45-minute-long address, he asserted that Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza. “Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure," he said. “And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won’t.”
Netanyahu, who said his speech was being partially broadcast on Israeli military loudspeakers in Gaza, vowed to "finish the job" against Hamas even as President Donald Trump said he thought he had sealed a deal on a ceasefire.
As Netanyahu continued his speech, he was faced with delegates from multiple nations walking out of the UN General Assembly hall on Friday.
Reacting to multiple countries' recent decision to recognise Palestine's statehood, he said, “Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere."
As Netanyahu spoke, voices were heard opposing him, while support came from the seats allotted to the United States and the United Kingdom. Many seats in the hall remained vacant, with Iran’s empty chairs filled with a compilation of photos of children that Tehran said were killed during Israel’s war there in June.
Also read: Benjamin Netanyahu addresses ‘empty’ hall as representatives walk out during UNGA speech: Video
Accusing his critics of antisemitism, Netanyahu said, “Antisemitism dies hard. In fact, it doesn't die at all.”
With time, the international isolation and accusations have grown, pressuring him to end the conflict. He used the platform on Friday to cast Gaza as the lone remaining front in a wider war, listing recent military missions by Israel to target its enemies and contain threats to its security in Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
Those efforts have “opened up possibilities for peace,” he said, noting that Israel has begun negotiations with Syria to reach security arrangements with the new government in Damascus. The final challenge, Netanyahu said, is to root out what he called the “final remnants of Hamas.”
He frequently praised U.S. President Donald Trump, his chief ally in his political and military approach in the region.
Israeli speakers reach Hamas
Netanyahu said that his speech was broadcast in part on an audio speaker in hopes of reaching both Hamas leaders and hostages still held since the October 7, 2023, attack. "We have not forgotten you -- not even for a second," Netanyahu said in Hebrew.
His office later claimed the Israeli army had hacked the phones of people in Gaza, including Hamas operatives, to make sure they heard his words. Inside Gaza, Palestinians said they could not hear the speech, and there were no immediate reports of phones being hacked.
Also read: Benjamin Netanyahu's flight to US featured an unusual route, thanks to ICC warrant
On recognition of Palestinian statehood
Talking about the recognition of Palestine's state, Netanyahu said that they had sent "a very clear message that murdering Jews pays off." "Israel will not allow you to shove a terrorist state down our throats," Netanyahu said. "We will not commit national suicide because you don't have the guts to face down the hostile media and antisemitic mobs demanding Israel's blood."
Netanyahu said, "Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after October 7 is like giving al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11." Members of the US delegation, Israel's closest ally and largest military supporter, were seen applauding as he spoke.
"This is sheer madness. It's insane, and we won't do it," Netanyahu added, while strongly criticising recent moves by Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state formally. "You didn't do something right. You did something wrong, horribly wrong," he said, insisting such steps would only embolden further attacks on Jews and "innocent people everywhere."
Used a map
Moments into the speech Friday morning, Netanyahu unfurled a map – titled “THE CURSE", in which he methodically used a marker to check off the countries where Israel has killed its enemies during a nearly two-year regionwide war.
He then addressed the audience with a pair of multiple-choice questions, depicted on a large card. “Who shouts 'Death to America'?” he asked as he read off the names of Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis militia.
(With inputs from news agencies)
