Netanyahu condemns recognition of Palestinian state at UNGA, denies genocide

NEW YORK — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply criticised several Western countries for recognising a Palestinian state, warning the move will embolden militant groups and fuel further violence.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu said: “You didn’t do something right. You did something wrong, horribly wrong,” accusing countries recognising Palestine of “rewarding Hamas” and encouraging attacks on Jews and “innocent people everywhere.”

The Israeli leader likened the move to “giving al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11,” repeating his frequent comparison of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel to the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Members of the US delegation — Israel’s closest military and diplomatic ally — were seen applauding during parts of Netanyahu’s speech.

Calling the recognitions “sheer madness,” Netanyahu vowed Israel “won’t do it,” and defended the ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has displaced more than 90 percent of the territory’s population and drawn mounting international criticism over repeated strikes on civilian sites, including hospitals and schools.

Read more: Slovenia imposes travel ban on Israel's Netanyahu

“Would a country committing genocide plead with the civilian population it is supposedly targeting to get out of harm’s way?” he asked, again accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields — an argument rights experts say does not absolve Israel of its obligations under international law.

Traditional allies such as the UK, France, Australia and Canada have recently joined the 157 countries recognising a Palestinian state. Calls for an immediate ceasefire dominated many speeches at this year’s UNGA.

Netanyahu dismissed the criticism as “empty posturing” and claimed that, behind closed doors, foreign leaders privately thank Israel for its intelligence services “that have prevented, time and again, terrorist attacks in their capitals, saving countless lives.”