United Nations, (EFE).- Dozens of countries rose from their seats and walked out of the United Nations General Assembly upon Netanyahu’s entry on Friday.
He gave a defiant speech to the remaining attendees, criticizing “weak-kneed leaders” who have recognized the Palestinian State. He reiterated that this will not happen.
For 40 minutes, Netanyahu displayed a map showing Israeli offensives in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen over the last two years.
He challenged them with a “surprise exam” about those territories and denied a genocide in the Gaza Strip. He also criticized the “anti-Semitic” and “weak” stance of countries that have recognized the Palestinian State. Israel will not allow it to exist, Netanyahu said repeatedly.
Netanyahu denies the UN commission’s accusation
Regarding Gaza, Netanyahu said the genocide accusation supported by a UN commission and under investigation by international courts is false.
He also denied that there is famine in the Strip, despite confirmation by an internationally recognized index.
The Prime Minister recalled the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, and how many countries supported Israel at that time. However, this support was lost as Israel’s offensive advanced in the Strip.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, over 65,000 people have died in Gaza in almost two years.
“Over time, many world leaders buckled. They buckled under the pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies, and antisemitic mobs. There’s a familiar saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, for many countries here, when the going got tough, you caved,” he said.
However, he defended the necessity of his military action, which is currently focused on invading Gaza City and expelling its 1 million inhabitants.
“Much of the world no longer remembers Oct. 7. But we remember. We’ve not forgotten you, not for a second,” Netanyahu said.
“Mark of shame,” regarding countries that support Palestine
The prime minister strongly criticized countries that recently recognized the State of Palestine, including France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
He referred to this week’s leaders’ recognition of Palestine as a State as a “mark of shame.”
“You know what message the leaders who recognize the Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians? It’s a very clear message: murdering Jews pays off,” Netanyahu said.
He called it madness to recognize Palestine because it would essentially hand over control to the Palestinian National Authority, which he described as a “corrupt organization.”
Message to Hamas
Prior to the speech, Netanyahu’s office announced that Israel had positioned trucks equipped with loudspeakers along the border to broadcast a message to Gazans. During his speech, the prime minister assured the audience that the message would also be sent to residents’ mobile phones in Gaza.
However, EFE confirmed in Gaza City that its residents had neither received the message on their phones nor heard the loudspeakers located kilometers away.
According to Netanyahu, he intended to reach the leaders of Hamas and the jailers of the remaining 48 hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
To them, Netanyahu sent a message: “Lay down your arms. Let my people go. Free the hostages. Free all 48 of them. If you do, you will live. If not, Israel will pursue you.” EFE
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