Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked former US President Barack Obama on 16 October 2026 over remarks made in Belfast. The exchange concerned Palestinian displacement during Israel's founding. In a video posted on X, Netanyahu rejected comparisons with European colonialism, declaring, 'We're Jews in Judea.'
Obama addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a paid event in Belfast on 13 October, interviewed by journalist Susan McKay. Approximately 7,000 people attended, according to The Irish Times. Earlier that day, Queen's University Belfast awarded him an honorary doctorate at a separate ceremony.