Israel’s prime minister rejected genocide allegations, defended the country’s military actions and thanked President Trump for his support.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful defense of Israel at the United Nations on Thursday as dozens of delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall.
Netanyahu called those leaving “moral cowards,” while supporters in the gallery responded with chants affirming that the people of Israel live.
“Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide,” Netanyahu said as he rejected accusations concerning Israel’s military campaign. He presented Israel as fighting threats on several fronts and said the country would continue defending itself.
Netanyahu thanked President Trump for what he described as bold leadership and strong support for Israel. He also criticized Western European leaders, accused Qatar and Turkey of spreading false claims about Israel and condemned New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for calling him a war criminal.
Mamdani responded that Netanyahu had repeated falsehoods intended to defend Israel’s conduct in Gaza. He also cited the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu rejects the allegations and has accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas, which the mayor denies.
Qatar and Turkey separately rejected Netanyahu’s accusations. Qatar said the prime minister was attempting to divert attention from Israeli policies, while a Turkish government spokesman called his remarks baseless.
Netanyahu concluded that Israel would continue fighting because it had “no other choice.”
