Delegates walk out as Netanyahu addresses UNGA amid protests in New York

NEW YORK: Dozens of delegates walked out of the UN General Assembly hall on Thursday as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Tel Aviv’s actions amid growing international isolation, with elections looming that could threaten his political future. The walkout undersco­red the competing pressu­res facing Netanyahu, who is battling mounting criticism abroad over the Gaza conflict while campaigning for re-election at home ahead of an October 27 vote. On Thursday, Netanyahu delivered a combative address inside the General Assembly, where dozens of delegations walked out as he began speaking. The departing diplomats left large sections of the hall empty, creating a striking contrast with Netanyahu’s attempt to use the podium to present Israel’s case before the international community. Netanyahu responded by accusing his critics of hypocrisy and calling them “moral cowards.” He rejected allegations that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, saying Israel had prevented rather than committed genocide. He defended the country’s military actions in Gaza and elsewhere in the region. Delegates walk out of the General Assembly hall as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to address the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 24. — Reuters He also devoted a significant part of his speech to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him “the antisemitic mayor of New York” and accusing him of spreading what Netanyahu described as lies about Israel. Mamdani, who had declined to join the street protests, responded after the speech. “Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians,” Mamdani said. “No lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.” Mamdani previously said New York City lacked the authority to enforce the ICC warrant against Netanyahu, arguing that the appropriate authorities should carry it out. On Wednesday night, the mayor had hosted Palestinian families from Gaza at Gracie Mansion and planted an olive tree with them, saying: “May peace be our future.” The two scenes — protesters confronting his government’s policies on the streets and diplomats leaving the hall during his address — turned Netanyahu’s brief visit to New York into a day of parallel confrontation. Netanyahu’s stay had already been sharply shortened amid security concerns and expectations of protests. He arrived on Thursday morning, addressed the General Assembly and was scheduled to return to Israel the same evening rather than remain in New York overnight. Outside the UN, Jewish and Muslim activists, Palestinian supporters, human-rights campaigners, progressive Jewish groups, politicians, artists and musicians took part in separate demonstrations across Manhattan. Their messages varied, but opposition to Netanyahu’s government and Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war brought many of them into the streets at the same time. Demonstrators protest after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations 81st General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 24. — Reuters The protests also offered a visible glimpse of a generational shift in American attitudes toward Israel and Netanyahu. While support for Israel remains stronger among older Americans, younger Americans have become substantially more critical of the Israeli government. A Pew Research Centre survey conducted in May found that only 18 per cent of Americans aged 18 to 29 had a favourable view of the Israeli government, compared with 47pc among those aged 65 and older. Among the youngest Americans, 58pc expressed a favourable view of Palestinians, compared with 47pc among those 65 and older. That generational divide was visible on the streets of New York, where many of the demonstrators were young people, including students, activists, artists and younger politicians. The largest direct action outside the UN was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, whose New York chapter brought hundreds of protesters to First Avenue and 39th Street. Demonstrators wearing matching white T-shirts sat in the roadway, chanting against Netanyahu and calling for an end to US support for Israel. For a while, protesters stood and sat in the street, linking arms and blocking traffic as police moved in to clear the roadway. The chants continued as officers began making arrests. At least 30 people, including actors and politicians, were arrested in the initial action. Police later said more than 100 protesters had been taken into custody. Among those detained were actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and City Council member Chi Ossé. Musicians Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus and actor Elliott Page were also among the prominent figures taking part in the protests. Chelsea Manning, who joined the protest, said people outside government institutions needed ways to reject policies they regarded as imperialism, ethnic cleansing and genocide. “We can’t be in there. This is the closest that we can get,” she said. Manijeh Moradian, a university professor of Iranian and Jewish heritage who participated in the demonstration, said protesters had a responsibility to speak out against what was happening in Gaza with US support. Jewish groups divided The demonstrations also highlighted divisions within New York’s Jewish community. Progressive Jewish organisations, including New York Jewish Agenda, T’ruah, J Street, New Jewish Narrative, New Israel Fund and Partners for Progressive Israel, held a separate protest at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza near the UN. “We are gathered here as American Jews, Israelis, New Yorkers, to say: You are not welcome here,” said Margo Hughes-Robinson, executive director of New York Jewish Agenda. T’ruah, a rabbinic human-rights organisation, called for a ceasefire and accountability for alleged war crimes. The organisers described their rally as an alternative for Jewish New Yorkers who opposed Netanyahu’s policies while retaining concern for Israel and Jewish security. They were confronted by pro-Netanyahu counter-protesters who blew whistles, used megaphones, chanted “Bibi”, and sang Israel’s national anthem. On the other side, the ultra-Orthodox anti-Zionist group Neturei Karta also demonstrated, arguing that opposition to Israel could not automatically be equated with antisemitism. Elsewhere, Jewish and Muslim demonstrators marched together towards the UN, while Palestinian activists and other organisations joined the broader mobilisation against Netanyahu. A city divided over Israel and Gaza As police loaded detained protesters onto buses outside the UN, Netanyahu was speaking inside a building protected by heavy security. Outside, demonstrators sought to challenge the Israeli prime minister’s account of the Gaza war; inside, diplomats expressed their opposition by leaving the chamber. The contrast was difficult to miss. For several hours on Thursday, New York’s streets and the UN General Assembly hall became parallel stages for the same international argument — one expressed through demonstrations and arrests outside, the other through a diplomatic boycott inside. And beneath both scenes was a changing American debate over Israel.

NEW YORK: Pri­me Minister Benjamin Netan­yahu mounted a forceful defence of Israel’s actions in the region at the UN on Thursday, seeking to coun­ter growing international isolation ahead of elections he could lose, as dozens of delegates walked out and hundreds of protesters gathered outside to challenge his narrative. The walkout undersco­red the competing pressu­res facing Netanyahu, who is battling mounting criticism abroad over the Gaza conflict while campaigning for re-election at home ahead of an October 27 vote. On Thursday, Netanyahu delivered a combative address inside the General Assembly, where dozens of delegations walked out as he began speaking. The departing diplomats left large sections of the hall empty, creating a striking contrast with Netanyahu’s attempt to use the podium to present Israel’s case before the international community. Netanyahu responded by accusing his critics of hypocrisy and calling them “moral cowards.” He rejected allegations that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, saying Israel had prevented rather than committed genocide. He defended the country’s military actions in Gaza and elsewhere in the region. Delegates walk out of the General Assembly hall as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to address the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 24. — Reuters He also devoted a significant part of his speech to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him “the antisemitic mayor of New York” and accusing him of spreading what Netanyahu described as lies about Israel. Mamdani, who had declined to join the street protests, responded after the speech. “Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians,” Mamdani said. “No lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.” Mamdani previously said New York City lacked the authority to enforce the ICC warrant against Netanyahu, arguing that the appropriate authorities should carry it out. On Wednesday night, the mayor had hosted Palestinian families from Gaza at Gracie Mansion and planted an olive tree with them, saying: “May peace be our future.” The two scenes — protesters confronting his government’s policies on the streets and diplomats leaving the hall during his address — turned Netanyahu’s brief visit to New York into a day of parallel confrontation. Netanyahu’s stay had already been sharply shortened amid security concerns and expectations of protests. He arrived on Thursday morning, addressed the General Assembly and was scheduled to return to Israel the same evening rather than remain in New York overnight. Outside the UN, Jewish and Muslim activists, Palestinian supporters, human-rights campaigners, progressive Jewish groups, politicians, artists and musicians took part in separate demonstrations across Manhattan. Their messages varied, but opposition to Netanyahu’s government and Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war brought many of them into the streets at the same time. Demonstrators protest after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations 81st General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 24. — Reuters The protests also offered a visible glimpse of a generational shift in American attitudes toward Israel and Netanyahu. While support for Israel remains stronger among older Americans, younger Americans have become substantially more critical of the Israeli government. A Pew Research Centre survey conducted in May found that only 18 per cent of Americans aged 18 to 29 had a favourable view of the Israeli government, compared with 47pc among those aged 65 and older. Among the youngest Americans, 58pc expressed a favourable view of Palestinians, compared with 47pc among those 65 and older. That generational divide was visible on the streets of New York, where many of the demonstrators were young people, including students, activists, artists and younger politicians. The largest direct action outside the UN was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, whose New York chapter brought hundreds of protesters to First Avenue and 39th Street. Demonstrators wearing matching white T-shirts sat in the roadway, chanting against Netanyahu and calling for an end to US support for Israel. For a while, protesters stood and sat in the street, linking arms and blocking traffic as police moved in to clear the roadway. The chants continued as officers began making arrests. At least 30 people, including actors and politicians, were arrested in the initial action. Police later said more than 100 protesters had been taken into custody. Among those detained were actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and City Council member Chi Ossé. Musicians Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus and actor Elliott Page were also among the prominent figures taking part in the protests. Chelsea Manning, who joined the protest, said people outside government institutions needed ways to reject policies they regarded as imperialism, ethnic cleansing and genocide. “We can’t be in there. This is the closest that we can get,” she said. Manijeh Moradian, a university professor of Iranian and Jewish heritage who participated in the demonstration, said protesters had a responsibility to speak out against what was happening in Gaza with US support. Jewish groups divided The demonstrations also highlighted divisions within New York’s Jewish community. Progressive Jewish organisations, including New York Jewish Agenda, T’ruah, J Street, New Jewish Narrative, New Israel Fund and Partners for Progressive Israel, held a separate protest at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza near the UN. “We are gathered here as American Jews, Israelis, New Yorkers, to say: You are not welcome here,” said Margo Hughes-Robinson, executive director of New York Jewish Agenda. T’ruah, a rabbinic human-rights organisation, called for a ceasefire and accountability for alleged war crimes. The organisers described their rally as an alternative for Jewish New Yorkers who opposed Netanyahu’s policies while retaining concern for Israel and Jewish security. They were confronted by pro-Netanyahu counter-protesters who blew whistles, used megaphones, chanted “Bibi”, and sang Israel’s national anthem. On the other side, the ultra-Orthodox anti-Zionist group Neturei Karta also demonstrated, arguing that opposition to Israel could not automatically be equated with antisemitism. Elsewhere, Jewish and Muslim demonstrators marched together towards the UN, while Palestinian activists and other organisations joined the broader mobilisation against Netanyahu. A city divided over Israel and Gaza As police loaded detained protesters onto buses outside the UN, Netanyahu was speaking inside a building protected by heavy security. Outside, demonstrators sought to challenge the Israeli prime minister’s account of the Gaza war; inside, diplomats expressed their opposition by leaving the chamber. The contrast was difficult to miss. For several hours on Thursday, New York’s streets and the UN General Assembly hall became parallel stages for the same international argument — one expressed through demonstrations and arrests outside, the other through a diplomatic boycott inside. And beneath both scenes was a changing American debate over Israel.

Police arrested dozens of protesters who filled the streets around the United Nations Thursday in advance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before the U.N. General Assembly. Those arrested included Daraliza Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 13th congressional district, New York City Council member Chi Ossé, Chelsea Manning, Linda Sarsour, and celebrities including Hannah Eindbinder, Susan Sarandon, and comedian Caleb Hearon. They were among at least 100 protesters detained by police, organizers told The Guardian.The protest, which was led by Jewish Voice for Peace, included other famous celebrities as well, including Elliot Page, Chris Rabb, and Cynthia Nixon, though it is unclear if they were also arrested.  Prior to her arrest, Chevalier told PIX11 News that “Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal who belongs at The Hague, and it cannot be that he comes to our city unchallenged.”“So many New Yorkers refuse to be complicit in a genocide,” Chevalier said. “If the police officers tell us to disperse, I will not be leaving, which will likely mean that I will be arrested today. I think it is deeply ironic that a man who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, has not faced justice, has not been arrested, and that our government has refused to actually act on that warrant as he has committed the most heinous and atrocious crimes against humanity within our lifetimes.”My interviews with Chi Ossé and Darializa Avila Chevalier before they were taken into custody @PIX11News pic.twitter.com/7n3JqzYajH— emily rahhal she/her (@RahhalEmily) September 24, 2026The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu almost two years ago, but since the U.S. is not a signatory to the court, he is able to travel to the country without fear of arrest or prosecution. The Trump administration instead sanctioned the court in February 2025, and plans to take further measures in the coming days against anyone who engages in financial transactions with the ICC. Shortly after the arrests of protesters, Netanyahu found himself speaking to a sparse audience, as many delegates chose to leave the U.N. building rather than listen to his speech. Room empties out at the UN as Netanyahu begins his speech. pic.twitter.com/plGg9wDRQ7— Acyn (@Acyn) September 24, 2026

Dozens of representatives from participating member countries staged a mass walkout at the United Nations Thursday, just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked up to the podium to begin speaking.There are 193 countries in the United Nations General Assembly. It was the second year in a row that the delegation protested Netanyahu’s appearance. As nearly everybody in the room stood up and filed out of the main hall, others remained but stood up and applauded the international protest.Meanwhile, around the room, supporters of the Israeli leader began chanting, “Am Yisrael Chai,” a refrain that translates to “the nation of Israel lives.”Netanyahu’s appearance came hours after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke to the General Assembly. Abbas decried what he described as Israel’s “malicious colonial scheme” to steal and control Gaza and the West Bank, and force Palestinians off the land.Room empties out at the UN as Netanyahu begins his speech. pic.twitter.com/plGg9wDRQ7— Acyn (@Acyn) September 24, 2026Outside on the street, police were arresting participants of another protest. Hundreds of protesters with Jewish Voices for Peace—including celebrities Elliot Page, Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder, and Chelsea Manning—blocked the U.N.’s entrance road, chanting, “We charged you with genocide, Netanyahu you can’t hide.”New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reiterated calls for Netanyahu’s arrest ahead of the General Assembly.“When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be: a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people,” the mayor told CNN on Monday.The International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest in 2024, charging him with war crimes after Hamas attacked an Israeli music festival on October 7, 2023. Earlier this month, Haaretz reported that Netanyahu received dozens of warnings ahead of the impending attack but chose to ignore them.“If the International Criminal Court deems someone worthy of an arrest because of a violation of those laws, then who are we to say that anyone should be above that? And I think very clearly that everyone should be held accountable to it,” Mamdani said.