UN delegations walk out on Netanyahu; Israeli PM calls them moral cowards

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit out at dozens of diplomats who walked out of the UN General Assembly hall as he began his speech, calling them "moral cowards" and accusing them of hypocrisy.Netanyahu responded to those leaving by taking a swipe at them almost immediately. (Photo: Reuters)A large number of diplomats walked out of the UN General Assembly hall on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address. He took the podium amid protests over his appearance in New York and mounting international criticism of Israel's policies in the occupied West Bank.As diplomats streamed out of the hall, some of those who remained stood and applauded. Others could be heard chanting "Am Yisrael Chai", a Hebrew phrase meaning "The People of Israel live".Netanyahu responded to those leaving by taking a swipe at them almost immediately. "If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now," he said as he began his speech.NETANYAHU OPENS WITH ATTACK ON IRANNetanyahu then turned his attention to Iran, defending Israel's military action against Tehran and claiming the strikes had prevented a far greater catastrophe. "Devastating Iran's nuclear facilities was hard. It was very hard to do. But for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make as prime minister, because if we hadn't done it, we'd all be dead," Netanyahu said.The comments referred to Israeli and US military strikes against Iran during the conflict. The United States and Israel launched the opening strikes of the war in late February, while Israel had also carried out unilateral strikes against Iran during the 12-Day War in June 2025. Netanyahu presented the attacks as a necessary response to what Israel has described as the threat posed by Iran's nuclear programme.SHORT UN VISIT, NO TRUMP MEETINGNetanyahu's appearance in New York is notably brief. He is not staying overnight and, according to the schedule provided, has no meeting planned with anyone from the Trump administration during the visit.He last met US President Donald Trump in the United States in August, in a meeting that took place without press access or cameras.The Israeli Prime Minister is also approaching a critical election, while Trump has yet to endorse him. Whether such an endorsement would help remains uncertain, particularly given the domestic criticism in Israel over Trump’s decision to end the war with Iran.Before his UN speech, Netanyahu met the leaders of Slovenia and Greece.During his short stay in New York, he is also scheduled to meet the leaders of Panama, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Argentina, Bolivia and Papua New Guinea.- Ends