Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged “moral cowards” of the United Nations to depart from his speech, as many had already walked out as he took the stage.
Before he began his speech, Netanyahu addressed those who walked out. “Before I begin, just a quick announcement: If there are any other moral cowards that haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” he said. “Thank you very much.”
The Israeli prime minister went on to address the war with Iran. “Devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard. It was very hard to do. But for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister. Because if we hadn’t done it, we’d all be dead,” he said. “Now, you want to hear the ultimate irony? In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall.”
He stated that many leaders have privately thanked him for his action. “It’s hard to imagine more mind-blowing hypocrisy, but that’s exactly what it is,” Netanyahu explained.
He called out more hypocrisy later in his speech. “To the protesters outside, to the hypocritical delegates who left this hall. I ask, ‘Where were you when the Iranian tyrants butchered and maimed tens of thousands of unarmed Iranian civilians? When they butchered and maimed thousands of their own people? Where were you?” Netanyahu asked. “Did you organize mass rallies, hunger strikes? Did you protest outside the Iranian mission to the UN? Did you speak out for that matter, for Christians persecuted in Iran and throughout the Middle East?’ No, no, you didn’t, because you’re phony human rights protesters.”
Netanyahu also thanked President Trump for his action against Iran. “In this battle against the barbarians, we’ve had no greater partner than President Trump,” he said. “I thank him for his bold leadership. He boldly confronted an enormous danger to America, Israel and the world.”
He pivoted to a criticism of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Mr. Mamdani, you tried to stop me from coming here; you tried to silence me. You can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth,” Netanyahu declared.
Prior to his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu pledged to “tell the truth” about the mayor.
“Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani,” Netanyahu said in a video. “Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews. I’m coming to the UN. I’m going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I’ve got to tell the truth about you.”
