Netanyahu Taunts UN Walkout, Vows Israel Will 'Win' — SkimNews
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- Netanyahu defended Israel's military campaigns in Iran, Gaza and across the Middle East at the UN General Assembly, telling the chamber "We're going to win. We have no other choice" after dozens of delegates walked out as he took the stage.
- After the mass walkout, Netanyahu goaded remaining attendees: "If there are any other moral cowards who haven't left the hall, please do so now," while rejecting accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing the UN via video link after being denied a US entry visa, accused Israel of waging a "genocidal war" in Gaza and said settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank threatens "the very life and existence of the Palestinian people" and the two-state solution.
- Netanyahu labeled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "tyrant" who supports Hamas, and attacked New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, claiming "many Jews no longer feel safe in New York" since his election — a charge Mamdani's office called "baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians."
- Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for "bold leadership" and pointed to joint US-Israeli air strikes on Tehran launched on 28 February, telling the assembly the two nations acted "not only to protect ourselves, but to save civilisation."
- The speech was tailored to two audiences: Israeli voters ahead of next month's election, where his religious-right coalition trails in polls, and Americans as support for Israel fractures, with the source noting plummeting Democratic backing and cracks spreading to Trump's Maga base.
- NYPD detained protesters including Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, Emmy-winning Hacks actress Hannah Einbinder, Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and NYC council member Chi Osse at an "unscheduled demonstration" blocking a junction during Netanyahu's visit.
Why it matters: Netanyahu used the UN stage to serve two electorates at once — Israeli voters ahead of next month's election, where his religious-right coalition trails in polls, and American audiences as bipartisan support for Israel visibly erodes. His scripted defiance against the walkout, combined with praise for Trump and joint US strikes on Tehran, doubles as domestic campaign ammunition while he operates under an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.
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