Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against criticism of Israel over Gaza and the West Bank in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, taking aim at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, French President Emmanuel Macron, Qatar and Turkey.

After most of the hall conducted a walkout at the outset of his speech, Netanyahu condemned violence by Israeli settlers while dismissing the international focus on settler violence as an “obsession.” He said roughly 150 young Israelis were responsible for throwing stones, destroying olive trees and setting fires in the West Bank and said Israel had deployed the Shin Bet against them.

“I can’t stand that. I won’t stand for vigilantism,” Netanyahu said, before arguing that the attention paid to such attacks was disproportionate to Palestinian terrorism. “We can’t stand settler violence. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

In his UNGA address, Netanyahu alleged that "several foreign countries have spent untold billions to spread lies" about Israel, calling out Qatar for "massively funding American universities and toxic media outlets like Al Jazeera … [to] brainwash young minds to hate Israel." pic.twitter.com/3yhyYfgy9z

— Jewish Insider (@jewishinsider) September 24, 2026

Netanyahu directly addressed Macron, pointing to the killing of Netanel Shukrun, a French citizen and father of six who was shot in a West Bank terror attack on Sunday, and the serious wounding of IDF reservist Neria Leiter, son of Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, in a car-ramming attack on Wednesday. 

Macron had said in his UNGA address that Hamas had “never operated” in the West Bank, while criticizing Israeli policy there. A French diplomatic official later clarified that Macron meant Hamas does not govern the West Bank.  

The prime minister also rejected accusations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, directly addressing Mamdani, who has repeatedly called Netanyahu a war criminal.

“Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide,” Netanyahu said. Addressing Mamdani, he added, “You try to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth.”

Netanyahu went on to accuse foreign countries of spending “untold billions” to spread anti-Israel messages through traditional and social media, singling out Qatar for “massively funding American universities and toxic media outlets” in what he alleged was an effort to “brainwash young minds to hate Israel, hate America, hate the West.”

He called Turkey the latest “superspreader of antisemitic lies” and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a “tyrant,” accusing Ankara of supporting Hamas and seeking greater influence in Syria.

Netanyahu also responded to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who said in his UNGA address on Wednesday that the Golan Heights “will remain Syrian territory.” 

“Mr. al-Sharaa, you should know the Jews have been on the Golan Heights since the days of Moses,” Netanyahu said. “You can read it in the Bible.”