Mass Walkout
Netanyahu calls his decision to strike Iran easy as dozens of UN delegates walk out of his speech.
Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN Thursday that striking Iran was one of the easiest decisions of his career. Dozens of delegates walked out as he took the podium.
"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, according to ms.now.
Cheers mixed with boos. A wave of walkouts followed, NBC News reported. General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman called for order in the hall repeatedly, the Independent reported. Netanyahu called the departing delegates "moral cowards" and told any remaining critics to leave too, the Independent said.
He rejected accusations that Israel's Gaza campaign amounts to genocide, calling it "the opposite of genocide," the Guardian reported. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew a direct attack by name, branded "antisemitic." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Netanyahu charged, is harboring Hamas, the Guardian said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly by video earlier Thursday. Gaza faces "a genocidal war that has created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe," he said, the Independent reported. His own delegation never made it to the hall. The U.S. had denied them visas, according to the Guardian.
President Trump skipped a meeting with Netanyahu on this trip. He left New York before Netanyahu arrived, headed for a three-day state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, ms.now reported. Netanyahu thanked him anyway. "In this battle against the barbarians, we've had no greater partner than President Trump," he said from the podium.
The Senate rejected a Democrat-forced resolution to pull U.S. forces from the Iran war that same day, NPR reported. Four Republicans broke with their party to support it: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul and Thom Tillis. Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman voted no, NPR said. The House had passed a similar measure in July, 214 to 208.
A peace deal with Iran might not come until after November's midterms, Trump told the UN this week, according to NPR. At least 19 U.S. service members have died since fighting began in February, NPR reported, citing Pentagon figures. Diesel prices climbed past $6.50 a gallon.
Less than 12 hours. That's how long Netanyahu is expected to stay on U.S. soil before leaving, ms.now reported.