24 September 2026 | 21:27

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“If there are other moral cowards, please leave.” Benjamin Netanyahu was about to address the United Nations General Assembly when the chamber began to empty. The Israeli prime minister watched delegates leave their seats and, before beginning his speech, made a final appeal: “If there are any other moral cowards who have not left, please do so now.”

“Destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities was difficult, but for me it was one of the easiest decisions I have had to make as prime minister. If I had not done it, we would have died,” Netanyahu said, referring to Iran’s nuclear program and the Israeli military operation against Tehran.

Netanyahu accused representatives of several Arab countries who left the General Assembly hall upon his arrival of “hypocrisy.” He said Israel had defended many of the countries whose delegations walked out and that some of their leaders had privately thanked him. “It is hard to imagine a more shocking hypocrisy,” he added.

He also targeted the mayor of New York. “Since Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York. Mamdani repeatedly and falsely accuses Israel of genocide. You tried to prevent me from coming here, you tried to silence me. You cannot silence me, you cannot silence the truth. Israel has not committed genocide. Israel prevented a genocide,” he said.

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