Delegates walk out during Netanyahu's UNGA speech

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began delivering his speech during the general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, many delegates walked out of the UNGA hall in protest.

In his address, Netanyahu criticized the countries that had recently announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, saying it sends a clear message to the Palestinians that "murdering Jews pays off."

France, Britain, Portugal, Australia and Canada are among the Western nations that have recently recognized the State of Palestine in support of the two-state solution. So far, more than 150 UN member states have recognized Palestine.

Scores of delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall in protest when Netanyahu took the stage. He was booed by some delegates but was applauded by others.

In his speech, Netanyahu accused the Palestinians of not believing in the two-state solution. "They never have. They don't want a state next to Israel. They want a Palestinian state instead of Israel."

He also alleged that "the persistent Palestinian rejection of a Jewish state in any boundary is what has driven this conflict for over a century."

In a statement, Hamas slammed Netanyahu's remarks as "lies and blatant denial of the genocide, forced displacement and systematic starvation committed by him."

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, said the Israeli prime minister had been left with "nothing but a chorus of cheerleaders who entered the UN hall only to clap in support of genocide."

Netanyahu's speech drew sharp criticism at home, with opposition leader Yair Lapid dismissing it as "all gimmicks" and lacking clear policy.

"The world saw a tired and whining Israeli prime minister today, in a speech too loaded with tired gimmicks," Lapid posted on X.

Israel also broadcast the speech into Gaza through loudspeakers, a move that has drawn controversy.

A military spokesperson told the Times of Israel the broadcasts were aimed at helping return the 50 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas.

Haaretz cited a senior officer who criticized the loudspeaker campaign as a reckless move that offered no real military advantage.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Thursday that a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian issue and implementation of the two-state solution is the only path to a just and comprehensive peace, with Israel standing as the sole obstacle to achieving it.

A day earlier, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be impossible without a Palestinian state.

Prior to Netanyahu's address to the UN, U.S. President Donald Trump told White House reporters he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, a plan the Israeli prime minister has repeatedly pushed for.

Trump, who will meet Netanyahu on Monday, also said a ceasefire deal over the war in Gaza was "pretty close."

Outside the UN headquarters, relatives of Israeli hostages led hundreds of protesters accusing Netanyahu's government of neglecting their family members held in Gaza. Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near Times Square, demanding Netanyahu's arrest. 

Amid growing international isolation, a recent survey by Channel 12 found that 56 percent of Israelis are worried about not being able to travel aboard, 67 percent feel the government does not reflect their views, and 62 percent support a broad agreement linking hostage releases to a ceasefire.

Addressing world leaders via video link on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority had recognized Israel's "right to exist" as early as 1988 and again in 1993.

"I speak to you today after almost two years in which our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been facing a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement," Abbas said, adding that the genocide has been "waged by the Israeli occupation forces, who have killed and injured more than 220,000 Palestinians."

Abbas condemned the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, saying those actions "do not represent the Palestinian people, nor their just struggle for freedom and independence."

Abbas extended thanks to the countries that recently recognized Palestinian statehood and to the people and organizations around the world who protested in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, adding, "We reject confusing solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the issue of antisemitism, which is something that we reject."

Earlier this month, the UNGA adopted a draft resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. The declaration, circulated at a high-level international conference held at the United Nations in late July, sets out an action-oriented pathway toward a peaceful settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the realization of the two-state solution.

(With input from agencies)