Netanyahu Calls UN Recognition of the Palestinian State “Sheer Madness”
Netanyahu calls the UN’s endorsement of the Palestinian state “sheer madness” in the face of protests, boycotts, and harsh worldwide condemnation.
At Friday’s UN General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out against global sentiment, calling international acceptance of a Palestinian state “sheer madness” and a threat to Israel’s existence. During his speech, there were walkouts, cheers, and scathing criticism of those who opposed Israel’s Gaza assault.
Netanyahu said, “Recognition of a Palestinian state is sheer madness, it’s insane and we won’t do it,” in a speech to a half-empty auditorium following the protests of dozens of delegates. It is dishonorable that multiple nations have recognized it. For Israel, he continued, such recognition would be “national suicide.”
A standing ovation was given to Netanyahu by those on the balcony, some of whom pumped their fists in support, as several official delegates departed. As he concluded his speech, the Israeli delegation stood up to cheer as well.
Netanyahu addressed the Hamas hostages directly, saying, “We have not forgotten you, not even for a second.” Israel’s people are on your side. We won’t stop until we get you all home. He claimed that his comments were being blasted across the border by loudspeakers in Israel as he called out the names of 20 hostages who were thought to still be alive in Gaza.
The Israeli leader brushed aside allegations that his troops are starving the Gaza populace or purposefully targeting civilians, calling them “false and distorted.” “The contrary is true,” he emphasized. Israel has sent millions of SMS and distributed millions of leaflets to encourage residents of Gaza City to leave. In mosques, schools, hospitals, and apartment complexes, Hamas establishes itself and frequently threatens people with guns to keep out of danger.
Netanyahu used a Holocaust analogy to support his claims of genocide: “Did the Nazis urge the Jews to leave? We wouldn’t beg people to leave a dangerous area if we were committing genocide. He said that if there is a food shortage in Gaza, it is due to Hamas’s “stealing, hoarding, and selling of it.”
In addition, Netanyahu asserted that Donald Trump “understands better than any other leader that Israel and America face a common threat.” Below the press booths, the US delegation applauded his comments. Trump will meet with Netanyahu on Monday after vowing to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank.
Netanyahu used signs to perform what he dubbed a “pop quiz” during his speech, asking who yells “Death to America?” and marking “e) all of the above,” which includes Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Israel has “devastated Iran’s atomic weapons and ballistic missile program,” he said, accusing Iran of leading a “terror axis” that threatens Israel and the rest of the globe.
Netanyahu said, “But we remember,” referring repeatedly to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. We fight for this reason, and we have to prevail. He claimed that the reason Israel is fighting was contained in a QR code that he put on his jacket badge.
The speech emphasized how diplomatically isolated Israel is becoming. Numerous UN members now acknowledge the existence of a Palestinian state, while Israel has denied the UN investigation’s accusation of genocide in Gaza as “distorted and false.”
