UNITED NATIONS — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful address at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, condemning Western nations for recognizing Palestinian statehood and warning that such moves sent the message that “murdering Jews pays off.”
“This week, the leaders of France, Britain, Australia, Canada, and other countries unconditionally recognized a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu said. “They did so after the horrors committed by Hamas on October 7 horrors praised on that day by nearly 90% of the Palestinian population. You know what message the leaders who recognize the Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians? It’s a very clear message: murdering Jews pays off.”
The remarks came as Israel faces increasing diplomatic isolation over its nearly two-year war in Gaza. According to Israeli figures, Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people during the October 7, 2023, attacks, while Gaza health officials report that Israel’s military response has killed more than 65,000 people and devastated much of the enclave.
As Netanyahu took the podium, dozens of delegates walked out in protest while others in the balcony stood to applaud. Outside the UN, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered near Times Square in New York.
Netanyahu accused world leaders of bowing to “biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and antisemitic mobs,” while claiming that in private, many continued to rely on Israel’s intelligence services. He rejected what he called “the false charge of genocide” leveled by the International Criminal Court, which has issued a warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes. Israel disputes the court’s jurisdiction.
The Hamas-run Gaza government denounced Netanyahu’s address as “filled with lies and blatant contradictions” and described it as a “desperate attempt to justify the war crimes and acts of genocide.”
International divisions were on display as leaders of Australia, Britain, Canada, France and other nations recognized a Palestinian state, saying the move was necessary to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution and help bring an end to the war. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, speaking after Netanyahu, said Israel’s actions in Gaza represented “an abandonment of all norms, all international rules and law.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking by video after being denied a U.S. visa, thanked countries that recognized Palestine and reiterated that Hamas should be disarmed and excluded from post-war governance.
At the same time, some of Netanyahu’s right-wing ministers urged Israel to formally annex parts of the West Bank to block Palestinian statehood. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, ruled out annexation, saying Thursday: “It’s not going to happen.” Analysts warn that such a move could jeopardize the Abraham Accords, under which several Arab nations normalized ties with Israel.
Despite growing international criticism, Netanyahu vowed to press on with the war, saying Hamas’s “final remnants” were cornered in Gaza City and pledging to “finish the job.” He also spoke directly to the roughly 20 surviving hostages still held in Gaza, promising: “We’ve not forgotten you — not even for a second.” Loudspeakers were set up along the border to broadcast his words into the enclave.
Trump told reporters that a deal to end the conflict and bring the hostages home was “close,” and is expected to meet Netanyahu in Washington on Monday to discuss a potential framework.
Netanyahu continues to face domestic pressure from hostage families and a public increasingly weary of war, while balancing demands from far-right coalition partners who oppose concessions. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized his UN speech, saying on X: “Instead of stopping the diplomatic tsunami Netanyahu worsened Israel’s situation today.”
For now, the fate of Palestinian statehood remains uncertain, as full UN membership would require approval by the Security Council, where the United States holds veto power.
