Netanyahu Faces Empty Seats and Rising Anger at UN Address

Dozens of delegates walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his speech, a stark sign of the deepening isolation of a leader who faces a tough election at home in five weeks. Netanyahu called those who left “moral cowards” and invited anyone else who shared their view to follow them out the door.

The walkout came as Netanyahu used his New York visit to trade blows with the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who has called him “the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians.” In a video statement this week, Netanyahu accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas militants, a claim the mayor’s office has rejected as false. Mamdani had campaigned on a promise to have Netanyahu arrested for alleged war crimes, though he later conceded he lacked the legal authority to do so.

Why is Netanyahu’s UN speech being seen as a campaign event?

With an Israeli general election scheduled for October 27, opinion polls suggest Netanyahu’s long grip on power could be ending. His leading rival is former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren said the prime minister is not really speaking to the UN but to the Israeli public, and that the address would likely resemble a “campaign speech.”

“Maybe he’s thinking, ‘If I can attack Mamdani and attack the Iranians, somebody who was wavering between voting for me and voting for Eisenkot may decide to vote for me,’” Oren said.

Is Netanyahu meeting with Donald Trump?

No. Netanyahu is making an unusually short visit, arriving Thursday morning and flying back the same day after his afternoon speech. He is scheduled to meet the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama, Ethiopia, the vice president of Colombia, and the prime ministers of Greece, Slovenia and Papua New Guinea. His office did not confirm any meetings with US officials, though two Israeli officials said talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio were being discussed.

The absence of a Trump meeting is notable. The two men jointly launched a war on Iran on February 28, but clashed after the US and Iran agreed to an interim ceasefire that Netanyahu opposed. Many Israelis were angered by that deal, and polls show they question Trump’s commitment to Israeli security, even as Washington proceeds with billions in arms sales.

“A lack of any encounter with the president, a month before an Israeli election, will indicate that Trump is keeping a distance from him and will be negative for Netanyahu’s campaign,” said Nimrod Goren, president of the Mitvim think tank.

What international pressure is Israel facing?

Israel has faced deepening diplomatic isolation since launching its war in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attacks nearly three years ago. Netanyahu cannot travel to many countries because of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued in 2024 against him, his defense minister, and the leader of Hamas.

Earlier this month, once-steadfast allies Britain, France and Canada announced sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, drawing a muted response from Washington. Netanyahu’s UN appearance last year also saw delegations walk out as he approached the lectern, while supporters in the gallery cheered.

Goren said the speech would likely follow a familiar script: defending Israel, confronting critics, warning about Iran, and arguing that Israel’s opposition to Tehran serves the wider international community. Netanyahu will also tout his own achievements and his close ties to Trump, Goren added.

What happens next for Netanyahu?

The election on October 27 will be the real test. Israelis opposed to Netanyahu’s right-wing government are planning protests in New York during his visit. The prime minister’s long hold on power, already the longest in Israel’s history, now hangs on a vote that polls suggest he could lose.