Facing global isolation at UN, a defiant Netanyahu says Israel 'must finish the job' against Hamas
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Surrounded by critics and protesters at the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told fellow world leaders on Friday that his nation “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza, giving a defiant speech despite growing international isolation over his refusal to end the devastating war. “Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure,” he said. “And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won’t.”
Netanyahu’s speech, aimed as much at his increasingly divided domestic audience as the global one, began after dozens of delegates from multiple nations walked out of the U.N. General Assembly hall en masse Friday morning as he began.
Responding to countries’ recent decisions to recognize Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu said: “Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere.”
As the Israeli leader spoke, unintelligible shouts echoed around the hall, while applause came from supporters in the gallery. Seats allotted to the United States — which has backed Netanyahu in his campaign against Hamas — and the United Kingdom were filled by low-level diplomats instead of senior ambassadors or officials. Many seats were vacant; by Iran’s empty chairs stood a compilation of photos of children that Tehran said were killed during Israel’s war there in June.
https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-israel-netanyahu-speech-e53eee3b76dfa568e03ac584e46991a5
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