(Israel, 27th) Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly’s general debate on the 26th, defending Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip and several Middle Eastern countries. He stated that opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state is not only the policy of himself and his ruling coalition, but also the "national policy" of Israel.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Netanyahu was the first to take the podium that day. As soon as he began speaking, many representatives of United Nations member states who had just taken their seats immediately got up and left the hall from different directions in protest, with some walking straight past Netanyahu. The delegates' seats quickly became empty. According to The Times of Israel, those who walked out were from Arab countries, Islamic countries, African countries, and several European nations. Meanwhile, the Israeli delegation and Netanyahu's invited relatives and friends all stood up and applauded loudly, attempting to divert attention.
During Netanyahu's speech, Tal, the father of Israeli detainee Bar Cooperstein who was in a wheelchair in the visitors' gallery, twice shouted protests and was subsequently escorted away by security. Some family members of Israeli detainees led hundreds of demonstrators in protest outside the United Nations headquarters, accusing the Netanyahu government of ignoring their relatives held in Gaza. Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near New York's Times Square, demanding Netanyahu's arrest.
Netanyahu declared in his speech that Israel will eliminate Hamas (the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement), which will help advance normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries. He stated that Israel has engaged in "serious negotiations" with Syria, and that peace with Lebanon "is also possible." He also said that Israel is fighting Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi forces in Yemen, and Iran on behalf of the United States and European countries.
Netanyahu also criticized several Western countries for recently recognizing the state of Palestine and attributed international criticism of Israel to so-called “anti-Semitism” and other factors. He claimed that allowing the establishment of a Palestinian state would amount to “national suicide” for Israel and expressed negativity toward the Palestinian Authority, claiming the Palestinians do not wish to establish a state alongside Israel and do not trust the “two-state solution,” but rather want a "Palestinian state to replace Israel."
However, Palestinian President Abbas, in his speech to the UN General Assembly’s general debate the previous day via video link, stated that the Palestinian Authority had already recognized Israel’s “right to exist” as early as 1988, and again in 1993. Abbas also explicitly opposed Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel from Gaza.
On the 26th, Hamas issued a statement saying that Netanyahu's "misleading" speech contained a series of "blatant lies and contradictions," and that the walkout by many representatives demonstrated Israel’s isolation.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Netanyahu was the first to take the podium that day. As soon as he began speaking, many representatives of United Nations member states who had just taken their seats immediately got up and left the hall from different directions in protest, with some walking straight past Netanyahu. The delegates' seats quickly became empty. According to The Times of Israel, those who walked out were from Arab countries, Islamic countries, African countries, and several European nations. Meanwhile, the Israeli delegation and Netanyahu's invited relatives and friends all stood up and applauded loudly, attempting to divert attention.
During Netanyahu's speech, Tal, the father of Israeli detainee Bar Cooperstein who was in a wheelchair in the visitors' gallery, twice shouted protests and was subsequently escorted away by security. Some family members of Israeli detainees led hundreds of demonstrators in protest outside the United Nations headquarters, accusing the Netanyahu government of ignoring their relatives held in Gaza. Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near New York's Times Square, demanding Netanyahu's arrest.
Netanyahu declared in his speech that Israel will eliminate Hamas (the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement), which will help advance normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries. He stated that Israel has engaged in "serious negotiations" with Syria, and that peace with Lebanon "is also possible." He also said that Israel is fighting Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi forces in Yemen, and Iran on behalf of the United States and European countries.
Netanyahu also criticized several Western countries for recently recognizing the state of Palestine and attributed international criticism of Israel to so-called “anti-Semitism” and other factors. He claimed that allowing the establishment of a Palestinian state would amount to “national suicide” for Israel and expressed negativity toward the Palestinian Authority, claiming the Palestinians do not wish to establish a state alongside Israel and do not trust the “two-state solution,” but rather want a "Palestinian state to replace Israel."
However, Palestinian President Abbas, in his speech to the UN General Assembly’s general debate the previous day via video link, stated that the Palestinian Authority had already recognized Israel’s “right to exist” as early as 1988, and again in 1993. Abbas also explicitly opposed Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel from Gaza.
On the 26th, Hamas issued a statement saying that Netanyahu's "misleading" speech contained a series of "blatant lies and contradictions," and that the walkout by many representatives demonstrated Israel’s isolation.
According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli side used trucks to set up loudspeakers along the Gaza border and in Israeli military camps within Gaza to broadcast Netanyahu’s UN speech. Links to the speech were also sent to Gaza residents via mobile phone text messages. At the beginning of his speech, Netanyahu addressed Israeli detainees, Hamas members, and Gaza residents in Hebrew and English. This move sparked controversy, with a group representing mothers of front-line Israeli soldiers and several families of detainees expressing anger.