Dozens of delegates walked out of the UN General Assembly as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address on Thursday, while others in the hall
booed him. Netanyahu appeared to acknowledge the walkout at the start of his speech. "Before I begin, just a quick announcement: if there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now!" he said. Supporters of Netanyahu, meanwhile, responded by chanting "Am Yisrael Chai", a popular Hebrew phrase meaning "the nation of Israel lives". His address came hours after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas criticised Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Abbas described those actions as "a malicious colonial scheme" aimed at forcing Palestinians to leave their homeland.
WATCH: Netanyahu is booed as he begins his UNGA speech, with many delegations walking out of the General Assembly hall. pic.twitter.com/ldaiBQ0KFk
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But he said he remained committed to the possibility of a Palestinian state living alongside Israel. He called for "a democratic Palestinian state that respects the rule of law and human rights, a nonmilitarized state that lives in security and peace alongside the state of Israel."
Abbas addressed the General Assembly virtually for the second consecutive year after the Trump administration refused to grant him a visa. In his recorded speech, he again argued for a two-state solution, a position he has advocated for decades.
He also accused Israel of prosecuting "a genocidal war that has created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe".
Mamdani Releases Video Ahead of Netanyahu Speech
Minutes before Netanyahu was due to speak, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani released a wordless video showing him planting an olive tree at Gracie Mansion and having dinner with Palestinian families from Gaza.
Mamdani had been expected to face criticism from Netanyahu during the Israeli leader's address. "May peace be our future," Mamdani wrote in a caption accompanying the video.
This is a Developing Story and will be updated soon
