Netanyahu calls accusations of Gaza genocide 'the biggest lies"

Lashing out at his country's critics, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angrily dismissed allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza as "the biggest lie of the century" in a defiant speech to the UN General Assembly that asserted his nation's right to wage war against Iran.

Scores of delegates trooped out of the hall in protest. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the plenum after days of speeches by world leaders condemning Israel's war in Gaza and accusing him of orchestrating a genocide against the Palestinian people.

When Netanyahu walked to the rostrum, a mix of cheers, boos and mass walkouts erupted.

Scores of delegates marched out and a majority of visible seats sat empty afterward. While the war in Iran has been inconclusive and caused havoc on the global economy,

Netanyahu insisted he had made the right decision.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: "Ladies and gentlemen,14 years ago, I stood on this podium and I drew a red line. I vowed to prevent Iran's murderous dictatorship from developing atomic bombs. Nuclear weapons aimed at destroying Israel. Nuclear weapons that could threaten the entire world. That's exactly what we did. Now, let me say something that might surprise you. 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. Now, you want to hear the ultimate irony? In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thanked us privately for taking out Iran's nukes. It's hard to imagine more mind blowing hypocrisy, but that's exactly what it is."

Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for taking decisive action against Iran, and predicted Iran's government would fall. Many say his remarks were aimed largely at the audience at home as the country prepares for elections on October 27th. Netanyahu reminded the assembly of the scale of the October 7th, 2023, attack in which Hamas killed about 1,200 people. "This is equal to 40,000 innocent Americans slaughtered in less than 24 hours," he said, or 16 times the death count of the 9/11 attacks that left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York and more in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon.

Netanyahu said the attack left Israel with no choice but to hit Hamas hard. Many governments have accused Israel of committing war crimes, and Netanyahu himself faces an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court accusing him of crimes against humanity. Netanyahu dismissed incidents of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as a "handful of young juvenile delinquents" throwing stones, chopping down olive trees and lighting fires.

The Israeli leader also accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of spreading lies about Israel and endangering Jewish New Yorkers with his criticism of the country's military actions in Gaza.