Benjamin Netanyahu confronted a wave of departing United Nations delegates before turning to his policy remarks.
'If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now,' the Israeli prime minister told the General Assembly on Thursday, 24 September 2026, as dozens of diplomats filed out of the chamber the moment he reached the podium.
The remark set the tone for his 15th address to the world body, delivered under the shadow of Israel's continuing war in Gaza, the nearly seven-month US-Israeli war with Iran, and a bitter public feud with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Walkout Greets Netanyahu Before He Speaks
Diplomats began leaving the General Assembly hall in New York within seconds of Netanyahu's arrival at the rostrum. Many Arab and Muslim-majority delegations exited, along with representatives from several African and European countries, leaving visibly empty rows behind those who remained.
Others in the chamber stayed seated and applauded, while supporters in the viewing gallery chanted 'Am Yisrael Chai' ('The People of Israel Live') as the walkout unfolded around them. Netanyahu addressed the exodus directly rather than ignoring it, telling those still departing to hurry along before he began his substantive remarks.
Speaking about Israel's strikes on Iran, Netanyahu said that in defending itself, Israel was also defending many of the countries whose delegates had just left the hall.
He claimed that many of their leaders had privately thanked Israel for striking Iran's nuclear programme, calling the public position 'mind-blowing hypocrisy', and recalled a vow he made 14 years earlier to prevent Iran's 'murderous dictatorship' from developing nuclear weapons capable of destroying Israel or threatening the wider world.
Netanyahu after the UNGA emptied out ahead of his speech: "If there any other moral cowards who have not left the hall, please do so now." pic.twitter.com/5I3ceI0bSM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 24, 2026
A Speech Shaped by War, Politics, and a Feud With Mamdani
Thursday's address came as Netanyahu marked his 15th appearance before the General Assembly, arriving amid the nearly seven-month US-Israeli war with Iran and the nearly three-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
It also followed a public clash with Mamdani, who has called Netanyahu a war criminal and previously called for his arrest over the Gaza war. The dispute with Mamdani had continued for months.
Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said days before the speech that Netanyahu had 'no option' but to make the trip after Mamdani called for his arrest, and accused the mayor of 'doing politics' with a call he later withdrew after acknowledging that New York City lacked the legal authority to arrest him.
Netanyahu had signalled in advance that he would use the podium to confront the mayor personally.
Two days before the speech, Netanyahu posted a video accusing Mamdani of supporting Hamas and 'inciting riots against New York Jews', declaring he would come to the UN General Assembly 'to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I'm going to tell the truth about you.'
Former Israeli ambassador Michael Oren said Netanyahu was 'not really speaking to the UN, he's speaking to the Israeli public', describing the address as likely to resemble a 'campaign speech' targeting both Mamdani and Iran.
With Israel's general election roughly five weeks away, the assessment came as opinion polls indicated Netanyahu could lose the election.
Opposition on Full Display as Delegates Sit Out
The scale and composition of the walkout highlighted the diplomatic opposition Netanyahu faced at the world body over Israel's conduct of the Gaza war. Many delegates left rather than remain in the chamber as Netanyahu began his address.
Netanyahu's visit itself was compressed into a matter of hours. His office said he was on a 'tight schedule' and needed to return to Israel before the Jewish holiday of Sukkot began at sundown on Friday, with no meeting planned with President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Arab leaders.
The address followed days of sharp criticism of Israel from speakers at the same podium. Earlier in the week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, denied a US visa to attend in person, addressed the chamber by video and pressed for movement on a stalled Gaza peace framework.
Netanyahu's speech came as the walkout left large sections of the General Assembly hall empty behind him. The departures left the chamber visibly divided as he continued an address focused on Israel's military campaigns and his response to international criticism.
.png?w=600)
