At the UN, Netanyahu Says Attacking Iran Was 'One of the Easiest Decisions'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an unapologetic and combative address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 24, defending Israel's military actions against Iran and in Gaza while directly attacking political adversaries by name.

What Netanyahu Said About the Iran Strikes

"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," Netanyahu said. "Because if we hadn't done it, we'd all be dead!" He thanked President Donald Trump for taking decisive action against Iran alongside Israel, and struck a defiant tone about the ongoing conflict: "We will continue to defend our state. We will continue to win because we have no other choice."

A Chaotic Scene Before He Even Spoke

The atmosphere in the hall shifted sharply as Netanyahu approached the podium — the room erupted in chants, cheers, and boos as dozens of delegates from various countries walked out in protest before he began speaking. Netanyahu responded by denouncing the departing delegates as "moral cowards," claiming: "In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall." He went further, asserting that many of the departing leaders had privately thanked him for striking Iran's nuclear sites, calling the disconnect between their private and public positions "mind-blowing hypocrisy."

A Visual Reminder of the Pager Attack

Netanyahu, known for using visual aids during his General Assembly speeches, at one point held up a pager while reminding the audience of September 17, 2024, when Israel remotely detonated thousands of pagers distributed to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon — an operation that wounded more than 3,000 people and killed 12, including two children.

Framing October 7 in American Terms

Netanyahu reminded the assembly of the scale of the October 7, 2023 attack, in which Hamas militants killed approximately 1,200 people, framing the toll in a comparison intended for the American context: "This is equal to 40,000 innocent Americans slaughtered in less than 24 hours," he said — or, he noted, 16 times the death count of the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York.

Rejecting Genocide Accusations

Netanyahu directly dismissed accusations that Israel's war in Gaza amounts to genocide against Palestinian civilians, calling it "the greatest lie of the century." He used a significant portion of his lengthy speech to criticize political opponents for what he described as spreading lies about Israel and fomenting hatred against Jews, naming specific foreign governments and world leaders directly.

A Direct Attack on New York's Mayor

Netanyahu specifically singled out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him antisemitic for asserting that Israel's response to the October 7 attack amounts to genocide — a notably pointed attack on a sitting local official in the very city hosting the address.

Gaza's Political Backdrop

Netanyahu's remarks came against the backdrop of an ongoing struggle over Gaza's postwar governance. Throughout the war, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority have been largely sidelined from negotiations over the territory's future, with the international community instead backing Trump's plan for a group of apolitical administrators to govern Gaza going forward.

What This Speech Reflects

Thursday's address illustrates the sharply polarized international reaction to both the Iran war and the ongoing Gaza conflict, with the mass walkout underscoring how deeply divided the assembled world leaders remain over Israel's military actions — even as Netanyahu insisted privately expressed support tells a different story than the public diplomatic response on display in the chamber.

What's Next

With the speech having drawn both a dramatic walkout and pointed personal attacks on political figures, reaction from the named individuals and countries is likely to continue unfolding in the coming days. For continuing coverage, see the full ABC News report.