At UN, Netanyahu blames Israel's isolation on 'anti-Semitism'

The Israeli Prime Minister did not mention President Biden's calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon and vowed to continue the war against Hezbollah

News Desk - The Cradle

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 27, 2024. (Photo credit: YouTube. Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on 27 September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the condemnation of Israel at the UN and International Criminal Court (ICC) on anti-Semitism, saying allegations of war crimes have nothing to do with Israel's actions, including its slaughter and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.

"It's not about Gaza," he claimed. "It's about Israel" and its very existence.

"[U]ntil this anti-Semitic swamp is drained, the UN will be viewed by fair-minded people everywhere as nothing more than a contemptuous farce," Netanyahu claimed.

"What hypocrisy. What a double standard. What a joke," he said to applause from Israel supporters.

The assembly hall was otherwise almost empty after several delegations walked out as Netanyahu reached the podium.

On 27 September, the UN member states voted overwhelmingly in the General Assembly to adopt a resolution calling on Israel to comply with international law, withdraw its military forces, immediately cease all new settlement activity, evacuate all settlers from occupied land, and dismantle parts of the separation wall it constructed inside the occupied West Bank.

In May, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population.

However, four months later, ICC judges have still not approved or denied the applications. There is no deadline for judges to come to a decision.

In his UN speech, Netanyahu signaled there would be no immediate end to the Israeli army's ongoing assault on Lebanon, which has killed over 700 people in less than a week, despite calls from US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron for a ceasefire.  

Netanyahu said his military would keep striking Hezbollah in Lebanon with "all our might."

'We're at war with Hezbollah,' he said. 'As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice. And Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safely."

His speech comes as Israeli officials said they were preparing for a potential ground invasion of Lebanon.