Netanyahu at the Un: Israel Is Fighting an ‘eighth Front’ — the Battle for Truth

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, defending Israel’s conduct in Gaza, confronting Iran, Qatar and Turkey, and accusing much of the international community of abandoning Israel in the battle against radical Islamism.

The drama began before Netanyahu had even spoken.

As the Israeli prime minister approached the podium, numerous delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall in protest.

Netanyahu immediately responded.

“If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” he said, drawing applause from those who remained.

The “Eighth Front”

Netanyahu portrayed Israel’s diplomatic struggle as another battlefield in the war that began with Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

After recounting Israel’s battles against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and other Iranian-backed forces, Netanyahu said Israel is now fighting an “eighth front” — the battle for truth.

He accused governments, international institutions and activists of turning Israel from the victim of the October 7 atrocities into the accused.

Gaza Genocide Charge: “The Lie of the Century”

Netanyahu forcefully rejected allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, calling the charge the “lie of the century.”

He pointed to humanitarian assistance entering Gaza, Israel’s facilitation of polio vaccinations and measures the IDF says it has taken to reduce civilian casualties.

Critics of Israel, international organizations and some governments have strongly disputed Israel’s account of its conduct and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Netanyahu nevertheless argued that accusing a country of genocide while it facilitates aid and vaccinations for the population it is supposedly attempting to destroy defies logic.

Iran and the Nuclear Threat

Iran featured prominently in the speech.

Netanyahu defended the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran and its nuclear infrastructure, arguing that allowing Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons would have posed an existential danger to Israel.

He also predicted that Iran’s current regime would ultimately fall.

Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people directly, expressing hope that they would one day be free from the regime governing them.

Netanyahu Takes Aim at Qatar and Turkey

The prime minister also launched unusually sharp attacks against Qatar and Turkey.

He accused Qatar of pouring billions of dollars into Western institutions, including universities and media, and helping fuel hostility toward Israel and the West.

Netanyahu also targeted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, pointing to Turkey’s treatment of Kurds, its presence in northern Cyprus and its relationship with Hamas while criticizing Ankara’s attacks on Israel.

Turkey rejected Netanyahu’s remarks.

A Message for Zohran Mamdani

Netanyahu also singled out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has said he would seek Netanyahu’s arrest if the Israeli prime minister entered New York, citing the International Criminal Court warrant against him.

Netanyahu accused Mamdani of antisemitism and support for Hamas and declared from the UN podium:

“You can’t silence me.”

Mamdani subsequently rejected Netanyahu’s accusations as “baseless lies.”

Defending the IDF

Netanyahu described the IDF as “the most moral army in the world” and defended Israeli soldiers against accusations of deliberately targeting civilians.

He also addressed violence by extremist Israeli settlers in Judea and Samaria, portraying those responsible as a small fringe and saying he had instructed the Shin Bet to act against them.

Critics contend that settler violence is more widespread than Netanyahu suggested.

From October 7 to the UN

Throughout the speech, Netanyahu presented Israel’s wars since October 7 as interconnected parts of a larger confrontation.

He highlighted Israel’s military achievements against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran and argued that actions once considered extraordinarily difficult — including direct strikes against Iran — had fundamentally altered the strategic landscape of the Middle East.

Netanyahu repeatedly praised U.S. President Donald Trump and emphasized American-Israeli cooperation against Iran and in efforts to return the hostages held in Gaza.

“Netzach Yisrael Lo Yeshaker”

Netanyahu closed on a distinctly Jewish and historical note.

He invoked the Jewish people’s approximately 3,000-year connection to Eretz Yisrael, referencing Dovid Hamelech, Shlomo Hamelech, Yeshayahu and Yirmiyahu and the survival of the Jewish people through repeated attempts to destroy them.

His final message was that Israel would continue to defend itself regardless of international pressure.

He concluded with the words:

“Netzach Yisrael lo yeshaker” — the eternity of Israel will not falter.