Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his UN General Assembly address Thursday evening by challenging any 'moral cowards' in the audience to leave. The UAE envoy remained seated as most other Arab delegations walked out. Netanyahu called the public criticism hypocritical, noting that some leaders privately thank Israel for its actions. He also reiterated that striking Iran's nuclear infrastructure was an easy decision, warning that failure would have meant annihilation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his UN General Assembly address on Thursday evening by challenging any "moral cowards" in the audience to leave, as The Zioneer has now reported in full. The UAE envoy remained seated while most Arab delegations walked out — a contrast Netanyahu later highlighted, calling the public criticism hypocritical and noting that some leaders privately thank Israel for eliminating Iranian leaders. "This is insane hypocrisy," he said.
The walkout was first reported by The Zioneer at 20:50 Jerusalem, when dozens of delegates demonstratively left the hall as Netanyahu began speaking. By 21:10, the desk reported his reiteration that striking Iran's nuclear infrastructure was an easy decision because, he said, "if I hadn't done it, we would all be dead." At 21:14, The Zioneer reported on his declaration "We are going to win" and his sharp criticism of Britain and France for accusing Israel of colonialism. Source corroboration evolved from initial Israeli media accounts to a detailed report from Abu Ali Express confirming that envoys from the UAE and Saudi Arabia remained seated.
As The Zioneer has previously reported in recent months, Netanyahu has consistently framed the Iranian nuclear threat as an existential mission — repeating since June that "as long as I'm PM, Iran will not get nuclear weapons." He has also cited the October 7 massacre as a turning point, vowing that Israel will not allow terror bases on its borders and that it has broken the "barrier of fear." Thursday's address continues this high-profile series of international forum appearances amid ongoing multi-front confrontations.
The response from world capitals remained unclear Thursday night.
5 developments
- StrongNetanyahu at UN calls out walkout protesters: 'Where were you when Iran killed its own civilians?'
- DevelopingIsraeli delegation walks out of UN assembly during Erdogan speech
- StrongNetanyahu's UN speech draws warnings and criticism from Israeli political figures
- StrongNetanyahu at UN: European leaders surrendered to antisemitic mobs, Iran fears Starlink
Source and signal
- Open-source intake