Netanyahu’s fiery address at the UN General Assembly on Thursday saw the Israeli prime minister accuse Britain, France and Turkey of colonial complicity while branding Iran a murderous dictatorship, all amid a tight race to retain power in the October 27 elections.
The chamber erupted as dozens of envoys from more than twenty countries walked out, some jeering, while the session’s speaker shouted for order and called the floor “chaotic.”
Madam Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York was singled out as “antisemitic,” drawing a sharp rebuke from the mayor and a threat from the International Criminal Court to pursue war‑crime charges against Netanyahu, allegations the prime minister flatly denies.
The speech also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, labeling him a tyrant and accusing Ankara of supporting Hamas, a claim that has already intensified diplomatic tensions with Ankara and its allies.
Israel’s foreign ministry has issued a formal protest and called for a UN panel to review the incident, while the United Kingdom and France have urged restraint and warned of potential sanctions should the diplomatic fallout deepen.