Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to "finish the job" in Gaza and dismissed the idea of recognizing a Palestinian state as "insane" as multiple delegations exited during his address to the United Nations.
Days after several nations, including the UK, France, Canada, and Australia, diverged from the U.S. by endorsing Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu rejected the two-state solution, calling it "sheer madness" and stating, "We won’t do it."
"Granting the Palestinians a state so close to Jerusalem after October 7 would be like giving al-Qaeda a state near New York City after 9/11," he said. Currently, 157 out of 193 UN member states recognize Palestine as independent.
According to a report by the Washington Post, more than 100 diplomats from over 50 countries left the hall as Netanyahu began speaking.
His speech followed comments by Donald Trump, who said he would prevent Netanyahu from annexing parts of the West Bank in response to international support for Palestinian statehood. "I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank... It’s not going to happen," Trump stated.
Netanyahu's political allies have previously pushed to annex as much as 82% of the West Bank, territory officially administered by the Palestinian Authority. Concerns have been raised that the U.S. might support such measures.
However, Netanyahu did not discuss the contentious proposal on Friday, with his office indicating he would only respond after meeting with Trump on Monday. Addressing nations that recognized Palestine, he said, "You didn’t do something right. You did something wrong, horribly wrong."
"Your shameful decision will incite more violence against Jews and civilians everywhere," he added.
During his address, Netanyahu insisted Israel would press forward with its operation in Gaza City, despite criticism that it would deepen the humanitarian crisis—actions which international criminal court prosecutors have labeled as potential war crimes.
"The last of Hamas is trapped in Gaza City," he said, emphasizing that Israel must "finish the job" to prevent repeated attacks like those of October 7.
"That’s why we aim to act as swiftly as possible."
Speaking at the 80th anniversary of the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu rejected allegations of genocide in Gaza, asking, "Would a nation accused of genocide warn civilians to leave danger zones?"
The speech faced significant opposition and was delivered to a largely empty chamber in the assembly’s main hall, which can hold 1,800 people. Reports noted that while U.S. and UK delegations remained, they were represented by lower-ranking diplomats rather than senior officials.
Netanyahu asserted that foreign leaders who "publicly criticize us privately express gratitude. They acknowledge Israel’s intelligence efforts in preventing attacks."
Read next
Pete Hegseth's proposal to stream executions aligns US with controversial nations.
If the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, proceeds with plans to livestream the execution of a soldier radicalized to extremist Islam, who killed 13 people at a military base in Texas, the US would join a group of lesser powers and rogue actors known for public executions in recent years.
Criminals steal €5m from renowned Italian winery
In a significant theft in Tuscany, thousands of wine bottles valued at €5 million have been stolen from the renowned Marchesi Antinori winery, marking what is considered the largest heist of its kind in Italy. A group of at least seven masked individuals breached the winery's cellar in
Illuminated Theater in Havana – A Photographic Journey
Widespread blackouts have become more frequent in Cuba since the US imposed energy sanctions in January. These outages often last longer than 24 hours as the aging electrical grid struggles to cope. The Impulso theatre group has been forced to adapt, as the power cuts present significant challenges for the