Netanyahu's UN Speech Criticized as Aggressive, Election-Focused

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an emotional and assertive speech at the UN General Assembly, which special correspondent Itamar Eichner of Ynet described as overly pompous, aggressive, and lacking perspective. With 33 days until Israeli elections, the address appeared primarily aimed at domestic voters, focusing on accusations against regional neighbors and sharp criticism of Western leaders, including Iran, Qatar, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Turkish president. The speech notably omitted any discussion of peace or the expansion of the Abraham Accords, instead emphasizing themes of "victory," "they want to destroy us," and "we have no choice." This marked a shift from his 2023 UN address, which had hinted at new prospects.

Netanyahu launched a strong attack on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had previously compared him to Hitler, as well as the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK leadership. A recurring motif was "we have no choice." While Netanyahu exposed hypocrisy from the UN and what he termed an "industry of lies" against Israel, the speech lacked significant intelligence-backed revelations. He dismissed international criticism of Israel as the world siding with Hamas and antisemites, while pointedly refuting claims of Israeli "genocide" in Gaza, avoiding mention of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against him.

The timing of the speech, just before Israeli elections, heavily influenced its rhetoric, which was tailored for Netanyahu's "own electorate." He utilized the platform to showcase his ability to defend Israel on the world stage, praising the IDF's morality amidst the NAZA film scandal and expressing warmth towards Yehiely Leiter, whose son was severely injured in a terror attack.

Similar to the previous year, Netanyahu's speech was met with a protest, with delegates from approximately 70 countries absent. Many who demonstratively left the hall were reportedly interns prepared for a provocation. Netanyahu responded sarcastically to their departure, stating, "If there are any more moral cowards, let them stand up and leave." While his press service arranged for supporters to cheer him, UN staff repeatedly intervened. The report suggests Netanyahu missed an opportunity by not arriving in the U.S. earlier for press conferences, instead speaking primarily to his supporters and domestic audience.

Netanyahu attributed a quote to his fallen brother, Yoni Netanyahu, "We will win because we have no choice," which closely resembles Golda Meir's sentiment about Jewish resilience. The speech completely ignored negotiations with Lebanon and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Netanyahu employed attention-grabbing tactics, displaying a pager to recall an operation against Hezbollah and a Starlink terminal he "gifted" to the Iranian delegation. He also compared the damage from Iran's missile launches to Israel with the hypothetical destruction of the UN complex by just two missiles. The speech was characterized as a defense of Israel against global condemnation, an "I accuse" moment against the world. A source close to the U.S. administration indicated Netanyahu's praise for Donald Trump was minimal, possibly due to Trump's cool reception and lack of a meeting during the visit.