Responding to the walkout, Netanyahu was quoted by the BBC as saying: “If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t left the hall, please do so now.”

In his address, Netanyahu defended Israel’s strikes against Iran as a matter of national survival, rejected accusations that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and dismissed reports of widespread settler violence in the West Bank.

“Devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard…” Netanyahu said. “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.”

Netanyahu delivered his speech hours after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the gathering via video after being denied a visa to enter the United States.

The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel killed around 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. The attack was followed by Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli operations have since killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, with thousands more reported missing beneath the rubble, UN News reported.

Rejecting allegations of genocide in Gaza, Netanyahu said Israel’s military campaign was aimed at defeating Hamas while protecting civilians.

“Here’s the simple truth. Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide,” he said.

Netanyahu said Israel had taken steps to reduce civilian casualties, including issuing evacuation warnings, making phone calls and distributing leaflets. He also pointed to the delivery of humanitarian aid and vaccination campaigns in Gaza.

“What genocidal regime gives a million polio vaccinations to the enemy’s population? What genocidal regime enables the distribution of two million tons of food into Gaza? That’s a ton for every person,” he said.

Netanyahu dismisses West Bank settler violence

Netanyahu also rejected reports portraying settler violence in the West Bank as widespread, describing those involved as a “handful of juvenile delinquents”.

He claimed that the number of casualties resulting from such incidents was “maybe two or three a year”.

Netanyahu calls disinformation an ‘eighth front’

Netanyahu said Israel had been fighting on seven fronts over the past three years — against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran, militias in Iraq, militias in Syria and Palestinian militants in Judea and Samaria.

He then identified what he called an “eighth front” — the information war.

Netanyahu accused international media, social media platforms and several governments of promoting what he described as anti-Israel and antisemitic narratives. He specifically singled out Qatar and Türkiye.

“Tyrants the world over seek to threaten us. They seek to undermine our resolve with their campaign of lies,” he said. “But ultimately, as on the military battlefield, the Jewish people will prevail.”

Netanyahu also criticised Western governments that have challenged Israeli policies, accusing them of applying what he described as a double standard to Israel.

Netanyahu takes swipe at New York Mayor Mamdani

Netanyahu also criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, claiming that Jews no longer felt safe in the city since Mamdani took office.

“Mamdani, you tried to stop me from coming here. You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth,” Netanyahu said.