Dozens of delegates from multiple nations walked out of the U.N. General Assembly hall en masse Friday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up to give a speech about the Mideast situation to the world’s leaders and, beyond them, many of its people.
As he spoke, unintelligible shouts echoed around the hall. The U.S. delegation, which has backed Netanyahu in his campaign against Hamas, stayed put. Applause rang out in other quarters as he began his speech.
As he has in the past, Netanyahu held up a visual aid — a map of the region titled “THE CURSE.” He marked it up with a large marker.
Netanyahu faces international isolation, accusations of war crimes and growing pressure to end a conflict he has continued to escalate. Friday’s speech was his chance to push back on the international community’s biggest platform.
More to come
