Dozens of delegates walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall in New York on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, in a protest that preceded his defence of Israel’s military action against Iran.
The departures came as Netanyahu approached the podium, following a call by the Palestinian Mission to the UN for representatives to leave during the Israeli leader’s speech.
Netanyahu responded by challenging those who remained in the hall.
“If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t left the hall, please do so now,” he said.
He then defended Israel’s strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, describing the operation as difficult but insisting that deciding to carry it out was among the easiest decisions he had made as prime minister.
“Devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard. It was very hard to do,” Netanyahu said. “But for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as Prime Minister.”
He argued that Israel had acted to protect itself and other countries, saying, “Because if we hadn’t done it, we’d all be dead.”
Netanyahu also claimed that some countries whose representatives had left the chamber were benefiting from Israel’s military action.
“In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,” he said.
According to Netanyahu, some foreign leaders had privately expressed support for Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
“In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes,” he said.
He described the reaction to Israel’s actions as “mind-blowing hypocrisy.”
The Israeli prime minister also devoted part of his address to Israel’s history, recalling the 1967 Six-Day War and his brother, Yoni Netanyahu, who later led the 1976 operation to rescue hostages held at Entebbe in Uganda.
Netanyahu recalled his brother telling him during a period of conflict: “We’re going to win.”
“We have no other choice,” he said Yoni told him.
He also recounted the hijacking of an Air France passenger plane to Entebbe and the subsequent Israeli rescue operation, saying 103 Jewish hostages were brought home.
The walkout followed another protest during this year’s General Assembly. On Tuesday, Iran’s delegation left the chamber during US President Donald Trump’s address after he threatened to “annihilate” Iran if Tehran failed to reach an agreement with Washington. Cuba’s delegation also later walked out during Trump’s speech.
Netanyahu’s address came amid the continuing US-Israel war with Iran and international criticism of Israel’s military actions.
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