SRINAGAR: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched an attack on Western nations recognising a Palestinian state, branding the moves a “mark of shame” in a combative speech at the UN General Assembly that prompted dozens of diplomats to walk out, reports Reuters.
Netanyahu accused countries including the UK, France, Canada and Australia of rewarding terrorism by recognising Palestine, declaring that such actions sent the message that “murdering Jews pays off.” His remarks came as Israel faces mounting global condemnation over its war in Gaza, with protests erupting outside the UN in New York’s Times Square.
Displaying a map he called “The Curse”, Netanyahu highlighted Israeli strikes against Iran-backed groups including Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas, while praising US military support. He drew parallels between Hamas’s 7 October attack and the 9/11 attacks on the US, insisting the two nations were confronting the same enemies.
The Israeli leader rejected a UN commission’s finding of genocide in Gaza and denied claims that Israel was deliberately restricting humanitarian aid, despite UN warnings of famine in the enclave. He reiterated that Israel would “never allow a Palestinian state,” a stance he said enjoyed overwhelming domestic support.
In a dramatic move, Netanyahu ordered his speech broadcast via loudspeakers along Gaza’s perimeter and claimed Israeli intelligence had hacked phones inside the strip to reach hostages directly. “We will not falter, and we will not rest until we bring all of you home,” he told them, referring to the 48 captives still in Gaza.
The speech drew sharp criticism at home, with opposition leader Yair Lapid deriding Netanyahu as “weary and whining” and accusing him of worsening Israel’s diplomatic isolation.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 65,549 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
