Alexandra Sharp
Foreign Policy / September 26, 2025
Dozens of nations boycotted the prime minister’s address, capping off a disappointing week for Israel.
Netanyahu’s no good, very bad week
Before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could begin his speech at the United Nations on Friday, representatives from dozens of nations walked out of the General Assembly hall in protest. Although Israel’s own delegation tried to counteract the boycott with raucous applause, the demonstration signalled growing international anger toward Israel—capping off a difficult week for Netanyahu.
Much of this week’s high-level summit has centered on the Israel-Hamas war and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. On Monday, France and Saudi Arabia co-hosted a conference to discuss a two-state solution, and several Western countries—including some that have historically backed Israel—recognized an independent Palestinian state.
“Your despicable decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere,” Netanyahu said on Friday, specifically calling out Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. “It will be a mark of shame on all of you.”
But those nations’ diplomatic moves were only the beginning of Netanyahu’s U.N. woes. According to flight radar, the Israeli leader’s plane ride from Tel Aviv to New York City on Thursday largely avoided mainland Europe, in what experts suggest could have been in an effort to avoid the jurisdiction of countries that belong to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Israel and the United States, which hosts the U.N. General Assembly, are not ICC members.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu last November. Although some member nations, such as Hungary, have disobeyed the warrant—despite being obligated to enforce it under the Rome Statute—several others, such as Slovenia, have banned the prime minister from entering their countries.
Yet even Israel’s closest allies may be growing frustrated with the country’s actions. Throughout the prime minister’s speech on Friday, Netanyahu praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his “bold and decisive action” to defend Israel against Iran’s “axis of evil” and his efforts to combat incidents of antisemitism, which have increased since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
However, Netanyahu and Trump may no longer be on the same page regarding all points of the conflict. Israeli officials have suggested that the country may annex portions of the occupied West Bank in response to new Palestinian state recognition. But on Thursday, Trump vowed not to let Netanyahu do this—signalling a potential break in the historically close friendship. Trump will host Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.
Still, Netanyahu used his Friday address to paint a picture of Israeli victory—not just in Gaza but across the Middle East. “We’re not done yet,” the Israeli leader said. Directly addressing the Hamas militants holding the remaining Israeli hostages, Netanyahu echoed the Jewish biblical figure Moses: “Let my people go,” he said. “Free the hostages now. If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down.”
Alexandra Sharp is the World Brief writer at Foreign Policy
