At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a wave of delegates left the hall in the middle of Netanyahu’s speech, a move that left the room eerily empty for the first time in decades.
Netanyahu, who has faced growing international isolation, used the moment to brand the walk‑outs as "moral cowardice", urging any remaining delegates to exit immediately with a curt, almost theatrical, sign‑off.
He spent the next 40 minutes hurling charges at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani—labeling him a war criminal—and at European officials he said had succumbed to anti‑Semitic mobs, while accusing Qatar and Turkey of spreading false narratives.
The speech, streamed live on all four major Israeli broadcasters, coincided with a massive pro‑Israel billboard campaign in Manhattan, where 500 banners and truck displays were set up to drum up domestic support just weeks before the national vote.
Meanwhile, a small crowd of protesters gathered outside the UN, chanting slogans like ‘Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live’, and were detained by police, reflecting the domestic and international backlash that Netanyahu’s hard‑line message has triggered.
The International Criminal Court’s 2024 arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, coupled with sanctions from Britain, France and Canada, has tightened diplomatic pressure, leaving the prime minister’s future increasingly uncertain.