Netanyahu's UN Speech Criticized as Aggressive, Lacking Hope

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a militant and aggressive speech at the United Nations on Thursday, characterized by widespread condemnations and sharp criticism directed at Western leaders, Iran, Qatar, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The address notably lacked any discussion of peace, such as the expansion of the Abraham Accords, offering no glimmer of hope and focusing solely on themes of "victory," the perceived desire of enemies to "destroy us," and the assertion that "we have no choice." The speech has been described as bombastic and lacking vision, with Netanyahu speaking to an empty hall and a world seemingly unable to listen.

This year's address differed significantly from Netanyahu's 2023 UN speech, delivered shortly before the October 7th attacks. While he engaged with Erdoğan then, he now harshly attacked the Turkish president, as well as figures like New York Mayor Eric Adams, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain. A recurring theme was "we have no choice." Netanyahu exposed what he termed the hypocrisy and lies directed at Israel by the UN and its "industry of lies," while refraining from revealing significant intelligence. He deflected criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza by accusing the world of hypocrisy and siding with Hamas and antisemites. He avoided mentioning the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court but responded at length to accusations of genocide in Gaza.

The speech appeared heavily influenced by the upcoming Israeli elections, seemingly aimed at his domestic base. With 33 days until election day, Netanyahu used the UN platform to project an image of strength and defense of Israel on the world stage. Amidst controversy surrounding the "Nitzan" film, he praised the morality of IDF soldiers and offered support to Ambassador to the US, Yehiel Leiter, whose son was seriously injured in an attack.

A protest against Netanyahu occurred as he took the podium, with representatives from approximately 70 countries absent from the hall. While many attendees left during the speech, described as a provocation, they did not hold signs or shout slogans. Netanyahu responded by challenging any "moral cowards" to leave. The article suggests Netanyahu's appearance was "too little, too late," arriving with a strong speech but no audience, likened to a dancer arriving after the performance has ended. The focus on social media was the mass exodus from the hall, portraying Netanyahu as arriving "too late, too alone, and too weak."

Despite the prime minister's office arranging for a cheering section in the gallery, who repeatedly drew reprimands from UN ushers, the author suggests Netanyahu should have arrived in the US earlier for press conferences and briefings, rather than speaking to his base and supporters. The speech included a quote attributed to his late brother Yoni, "We will win because we have no choice," though this quote is not previously attributed to Yoni and resembles one associated with Golda Meir. Notably absent from the speech were discussions about negotiations with Lebanon and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who addressed the UN General Assembly via pre-recorded video after being denied a US visa. Netanyahu's attempts at "gimmicks," such as presenting a pager to recall a Hezbollah operation and a Starlink device as a "gift" to the Iranian delegation, were seen as insufficient to capture attention.

Netanyahu drew a comparison between the damage of 1,000 Iranian missiles on Israel and the potential destruction of the UN complex by just two missiles, aiming to portray Iran as a global threat. The speech was framed as a defense of Israel against global defamation, an "I accuse" speech against the world. While Netanyahu delivered his points eloquently in English, the lack of a positive message for peace was a significant drawback. A source close to the US administration indicated that Netanyahu praised former President Donald Trump but did not go out of his way, possibly due to Trump's cold shoulder and refusal to meet him during this visit. Trump and his associates are reportedly angry with Netanyahu and unwilling to assist him in the elections, with Trump meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping during Netanyahu's speech.