Walkout and street protests mark Netanyahu’s UN address

NEW YORK

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a mass walkout at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, as dozens of delegations left the chamber in protest over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Türkiye, Palestine and several Arab countries joined the protest, which left large sections of the hall empty. Netanyahu’s delegation applauded as other representatives headed for the exits.

“If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu said.

Outside the U.N. headquarters, police detained actress Susan Sarandon and other demonstrators protesting his visit.

Protesters carried banners calling for an end to genocide and arms supplies to Israel.

During his address to the assembly’s 81st session, Netanyahu held up a pager while recalling Israel’s September 2024 attack on Hezbollah’s communications devices in Lebanon. The remotely detonated devices killed civilians, and wounded thousands.

He also attacked Britain and France over their criticism of Israel, invoking their colonial histories, and played down violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu’s announced schedule included talks with nine foreign leaders but no meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Türkiye responded to his accusations against the country and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan through İhsan Taylan Özver, a third secretary at its U.N. mission in New York.

Exercising Türkiye’s right of reply, Özver rejected Netanyahu’s allegations as baseless and malicious and called the walkout “a resounding diplomatic condemnation.”

“His words are discredited, his policies are rejected, and his isolation is deepening by the day,” he said.

Özver said Netanyahu’s accusations were attempts to conceal what he described as Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its aggression in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and beyond.

He also referred to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, saying the international community refused to listen to a leader who had lost his moral legitimacy.

No propaganda could erase the killing of thousands of civilians, the destruction of homes and hospitals, the deliberate targeting of schools or the obstruction of humanitarian aid, Özver said.

These were crimes that would neither be forgotten nor forgiven, he added.