UN delegates staged a mass walkout as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to the stage, shortly before he railed against nations that have “waged a political and legal war” against his country.
There were boos as he decried the growing global recognition of a Palestinian state and vowed Israel will continue to fight in Gaza and “finish the job” of eliminating Hamas, in remarks that fly in the face of international pressure on Netanyahu to end the war, which is about to enter its third year.
Addressing row after row of empty seats at the UN General Assembly on Friday, he firmly rejected giving the Palestinians a state, and told world leaders who have recognised such a state this week that “we will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats”.
Dozens of delegates walked out of the chamber as Netanyahu, who is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, took to the podium.
He accused world leaders of buckling “when the going got tough” for Israel.
“When the going got tough, you caved,” he said to the mostly empty chamber.
“And here is the shameless result of that collapse. For much of the past two years, Israel has had to fight a seven-front war against barbarism with many of your nations opposing us.
“Astoundingly, as we fight the terrorists who murdered many of your citizens, you are fighting us. You condemn us, you embargo us, and you wage political and legal warfare – it’s called lawfare – against us.
“I say to the representatives of those nations, this is not an indictment of Israel, it’s an indictment of you. It’s an indictment of weak leaders who appease evil rather than support a nation whose brave soldiers guard you from the barbarians at the gate.”
Netanyahu said he has surrounded Gaza with speakers so that his speech could reach the hostages being held by Hamas. “We will not rest until we bring all of you home,” he told them directly.
To Hamas, he said: “Free the hostages now. If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down.”
Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza has brought a wave of support for a Palestinian state from Western nations. The UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognised Palestinian statehood on Sunday, followed by France the next day.
It has provoked the ire of Israeli ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition government who have pressured the Israeli prime minister to annex the occupied West Bank in retaliation.
US president Donald Trump, however, said he would not allow that to happen.
