Netanyahu Criticizes UN Walkout, Addresses General Assembly

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery address at the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2026, during which dozens of global delegates staged a walkout as he began speaking. Netanyahu, speaking at the 81st session of the UNGA in New York City, criticized the departing diplomats, branding them "moral cowards" before those who remained in the hall.

During his speech, Netanyahu defended Israel's military actions and characterized the walkout as "mind-blowing hypocrisy" that overlooked the global threat posed by Iran. The Prime Minister's remarks came amidst a backdrop of global leaders gathering for the annual session, with discussions covering issues such as artificial intelligence and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Separately, remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding Hamas drew sharp criticism from U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Israeli officials. French diplomats later issued clarifications, attributing the controversy to translation issues.

In international security developments, German authorities indicted seven alleged Hamas operatives accused of establishing secret weapons caches across Europe. Prosecutors revealed a plot targeting Jewish and Israeli individuals in Berlin and Vienna, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7 attacks. Notably, one suspect in the case was reportedly an informant for German intelligence.

U.S. representative for UN management and reform, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, also called for the United Nations to dismantle the legacy of the 2001 Durban Conference, which he argued codified "radical anti-Western hatred, antisemitism, and anti-American sentiment" and was the origin of the BDS movement. Bartos urged the UN to abandon the commemoration of this lineage to restore its international credibility.