Boos and mass walkout for Netanyahu at UN as he rages at 'moral cowards'

 Dozens of delegates booed and walked out of the UN General Assembly as Benjamin Netanyahu took to the stage today.

The Israeli leader lambasted those leaving the chamber before starting his speech, saying: “If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now."

Small sections of the audience - including the Israeli delegation - could be seen applauding Netanyahu.

It comes as he appears to have been snubbed by Donald Trump this week, as there are no plans for them to meet.

The snub hasn't stopped Netanyahu making a fiery speech. He boldly said "we'd all be dead" if Israel and the US didn't attack Iran earlier this year and devastate its "nuclear facilities".

He also pointed to a speech he made 14 years ago on the same podium, during which he "drew a red line" and "vowed to prevent Iran's murderous dictatorship from developing atomic bombs"

Netanyahu claimed attacking Iran was one of the "easiest decisions I've ever had to make as prime minister".

Hitting out at those who left the room, he said Israel was defending many of their countries and accused them of "hypocrisy", saying many of their leaders "thanked us privately for taking out Iran's nukes".

A defensive Netanyahu used his speech to deny his country has enacted a genocide on the Palestinians, branding the claims "the greatest lie of the century".

Netanyahu cited claims from a retired US army officer who said Israel has "done more to prevent civilian casualties in war than any other military in history".

More than 69,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including 17,000 children, according to figures from the British Red Cross, with a further 170,000 people injured.

Netanyahu is currently the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on November 21, 2024 for the alleged war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the Gaza war.

A UN-commissioned inquiry previously found Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in war-torn Gaza.

Netanyahu's brief visit also demonstrated how isolated he is globally, three years after launching a punishing war in Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

He faces re-election next month in polls widely seen as a referendum on his responsibility for the security failures surrounding the attacks and his ability to defend its reputation on the world stage.

Day after day this week, as other heads of state have stepped to the podium, many have harshly criticized Israel's actions, particularly in Gaza. Ahead of his visit, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged his arrest, saying the US should honour the ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu. However the US is not a member of the court and New York City lacks the authority to arrest him.

Netanyahu's cold reception at the UN General Assembly is unlikely to faze him however, with his main audience the Israeli voters back home.

"He times his speech so that it is broadcast here in primetime," said Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the US who served under Netanyahu and lives in Israel.