Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attacked the recognition of a Palestinian State by multiple Western countries during a combative speech at the UN General Assembly.
Netanyahu labelled the recognition moves a “mark of shame” that sent the message “murdering Jews pays off”.
Dozens of officials and diplomats staged a walk-out as he took to the podium, leaving large parts of the conference hall empty. Outside, protesters against Israel’s war in Gaza gathered in Times Square.
Israel has come under huge international pressure over its military action in Gaza, culminating in the UK, France, Canada, Australia and other countries recognising the State of Palestine this week.
In his opening remarks, Netanyahu displayed a map labelled “The Curse” that he said showed Iranian proxy groups across the Middle East. He then highlighted Israeli military operations across the past year against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and Iran.
He thanked US President Donald Trump for American involvement in bombing Iran’s Fordo nuclear site in June, and drew parallels between Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and the 9/11 attack on the US. He said the two countries were fighting the same enemies, pointing to chants of “death to America” by groups linked to Iran.
Source:BBC news
