Netanyahu’s controversial appearance at the United Nations General Assembly was met with complete division. While some applauded and cheered him, several delegations left the session directly before the start of the Israeli Prime Minister’s speech.
The president of the assembly tried to calm things down, but in protest, the representatives of the State of Palestine They abandoned their position. Those from Qatar also stood up and members from countries including Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Turkey confirmed their departure from the session.
But there could be more than a dozen delegations that withdrew, according to media reports following the appearance. Because there, a few moments later, Benjamin Netanyahu directly attacked the UN: twice, he described the UN as anti-Semitic, criticizing the arrest warrant issued against him and his Minister of Defense for alleged war crimes.
Netanyahu dampens hopes for ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear this Friday at the UN General Assembly that does not intend to agree to a ceasefire on neither front – neither in Gaza nor in Lebanon – but he reached out to Saudi Arabia for a possible peace agreement and mutual recognition.
In a defiant tone, Netanyahu said he had no plans to attend the UN High-Level Week, but decided to do so “after hearing all the lies and slander directed against my country from this same platform, to make things clear.” referring to all the calls that dozens of countries have made these days to declare a ceasefire.
He did not even mention the words “truce” or “ceasefire”, but he made it clear that when it came to Gaza, “We will not rest until we bring the remaining hostages home”. Netanyahu, who spoke for 35 minutes, brought with him from Israel relatives of the hostages who were or are in the hands of Hamas since October 7, who received him with a long ovation from the guest gallery as he entered the room and they applauded many times. occasions.
Much of his speech He dedicated it to warning about the threat posed by Iran means for his country and for the world and provided – in a manner similar to what he did last year – a “curse map” where Iran and its allies, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon , trigger war in a region and thus derail what could be a “blessed card” in which an Arab world at peace with Israel would be the perfect bridge between Europe and Asia.
