The Independent
· collected 2026-09-25 · by Antoni Slodkowski and John Irish
During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly hall on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a walkout by some UN delegates as he defended Israel's actions and criticized global criticism of his country. He specifically targeted New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for branding him a war criminal and accused Western European governments of capitulating to "antisemitic mobs." Netanyahu’s 40-minute speech, broadcast live in Israel, was part of an effort to rally domestic support ahead of upcoming elections by framing the current conflicts as essential for national survival.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Delivering a defiant address to the United Nations on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mounted a firm defence of Israel's regional military actions, attempting to push back against deepening global isolation ahead of upcoming domestic elections.
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Netanyahu → deliver → elections
As he approached the podium inside the General Assembly hall, several delegations staged a walkout in protest, prompting the Israeli leader to label those departing "moral cowards."
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delegations → approach → departing
Throughout the address, he directed sharp criticism at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for branding him a war criminal, condemned Western European governments for capitulating to "antisemitic mobs", and accused Qatar and Turkey of disseminating falsehoods regarding Israel.
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he → direct → Israel
Speaking about Mamdani, Netanyahu declared: "You tried to stop me from coming here.
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You → speak → me
You tried.
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You → try → ?
You tried to silence me.
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You → try → me
Well, you can't silence me.
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you → silence → me
You can't silence the truth."
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You → silence → truth
Mamdani had built his electoral platform partly on a pledge to arrest the Israeli leader over war crimes allegations if he entered New York, though he subsequently acknowledged he lacked the statutory power to act.
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he → build → power
Earlier in the week, Mamdani characterised Netanyahu as "the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians."
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Mamdani → characterise → Palestinians
Reopening their public dispute upon arriving in the city, Netanyahu falsely alleged that the New York mayor supported Hamas fighters.
"
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mayor → reopen → fighters
To all those spreading these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall or in the office of the antisemitic mayor of New York, I say this: Shame on you!"
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I → spread → you
The trip marked Netanyahu’s first visit to New York since Mamdani assumed office in January, with the Israeli leader firmly denying all war crimes allegations.
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leader → mark → allegations
Facing a national vote in less than five weeks, Netanyahu delivered a 40-minute, campaign-orientated address that was broadcast live during prime time across all four major Israeli television networks.
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that → face → networks
To coincide with the appearance, the Israeli government funded 500 pro-Israel and anti-Iran billboards alongside advertising trucks across Manhattan, according to a statement from his office.
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government → coincide → office
Trailing in domestic opinion polls, Israel's longest-serving prime minister framed the current military conflicts as a seven-front struggle for national survival.
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minister → trail → survival
Netanyahu has frequently used visual aids during previous UN appearances—including charts and diagrams—to highlight Iran’s nuclear programme, an initiative Tehran maintains is purely civilian.
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Tehran → use → programme
On Thursday, he displayed a pager, referencing recent covert operations against Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, alongside a Starlink satellite internet receiver intended, he claimed, for the Iranian delegation.
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he → display → delegation
"So when they inevitably defect, they too will be able to freely tell their story on social media," he asserted, suggesting the collapse of the Iranian regime by its public was inevitable.
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collapse → defect → public
Outside, demonstrations against Israel took place on the streets of New York.
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demonstrations → take → York
Hundreds gathered near the UN headquarters, where police arrested dozens of demonstrators who blocked traffic while chanting "Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live" and "Stop arming Israel, let Iran live."
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Iran → gather → Israel
The ongoing Israeli election campaign comes amid growing international condemnation over the military campaign in Gaza.
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campaign → come → Gaza
Netanyahu’s brief visit to the US did not include a scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump, despite lavishing praise on him during the speech.
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visit → include → speech
"We will continue to defend our state.
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We → continue → state
We will continue to win because we have no other choice.
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we → continue → choice
In this battle against the barbarians, we've had no greater partner than President Trump.
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we → have → Trump
I thank him.
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I → thank → him
I thank him for his bold leadership," he said.
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he → thank → leadership
The Aporia
