Delegations Walk Out on Netanyahu at UN General Assembly

The Turkish delegation and many others walked out during Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday, Sep. 27. 

Netanyahu held up a map showing the West Bank, which is internationally recognized as Palestinian territory, as Israeli territory. 

Türkiye's permanent representative to the U.N., Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız led the rest of the Turkish delegation as they left the hall even before the Israeli prime minister began his address. They were followed by various members of other delegations. 

Netanyahu defended his country's response to the Oct. 7 attacks, which has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and destroped most of the Gaza Strip. 

The Israeli PM said, "I didn’t intend to come here this year. My country is at war fighting for its life...But after I heard the lies and slanders levelled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight."

Ahead of Netanyahu's address at the UN General Assembly, protestors gathered outside of his hotel in New York, demanding an end to the violence in Gaza and Lebanon. 

The Israeli PM emphasized during his speech at the UN General Assembly that his country will continue operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon after the US and France had proposed a 21-day truce this week. 

Netanyahu also said, "If Hamas stays in power, it will regroup ... and attack Israel again and again and again ... So Hamas has got to go." The Israeli prime minister has vowed to fight Hamas until "total victory".

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