In a dramatic and powerful moment of international rebuke, more than 100 diplomats, representing over 50 nations, staged a mass walkout during Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly. The orderly exodus, captured on video, was a palpable expression of global condemnation for Israel’s continued military campaign in Gaza, which critics argue is a campaign of collective punishment and war crimes, having killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians, including a disproportionate number of children. The incident underscores Israel’s increasing isolation on the world stage, a position made tenable, critics argue, only by the staunch and costly support of the United States.

Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, was met not with respectful silence but with empty chairs as delegates filed out of the hall, signalling their unwillingness to hear his defense of the war. The hosts of The Young Turks analyzed the brazenness of the speech, which not only doubled down on the military action but included a remarkable attempt to turn the tables on his international critics.

A Defiant Address and a Propagandist Broadcast

The core message of Netanyahu’s address was one of absolute resolve: the war is not finished. He stated clearly that the “final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City” and vowed that Israel “must finish the job” as fast as possible.

However, the political analysts pointed out that Netanyahu’s interpretation of “the job” likely extends far beyond eliminating Hamas. They argue that the true objective of the war appears to be the eradication of Palestinian society, paving the way for the forced relocation of the remaining population and the potential for land appropriation. They describe the continued military operation as proceeding as long as there is a person, woman, or child of Palestinian descent still alive in the world, and as long as there is territory that can be bulldozed and repurposed.

In an act that encapsulates the nature of the information war accompanying the physical one, Israeli intelligence ensured that the Prime Minister’s speech was widely heard in Gaza itself. It was broadcast over loudspeakers placed along the border and even live-streamed to hacked cell phones. The hosts noted the grim irony in this: that Israel is capable of quickly broadcasting a political propaganda speech into Gaza, yet consistently claims that delivering basic humanitarian aid and food is “too difficult.”

Lashing Out at “Weak-Kneed Leaders”

Facing a wave of international criticism, diplomatic censure, and growing recognition of a Palestinian state by UN members, Netanyahu chose to attack his critics rather than offer concessions. He accused world leaders of having “buckled” under the pressure of a “biased media,” “radical Islamist constituencies,” and “anti-Semitic mobs.”

In a moment of extraordinary self-righteousness, he declared that the nations condemning Israel’s actions were fighting Israel while Israel was fighting “the terrorists who murdered many of your citizens.” He continued with a stunning indictment of the assembled nations: “This is not an indictment of Israel—it’s an indictment of you. It’s an indictment of weak-kneed leaders who appease evil rather than support a nation whose brave soldiers guard you from the barbarians at the gate.” The hosts were quick to point out the absurdity of this rhetoric, sarcastically suggesting that the “remaining fragments of Palestinian society” were about to invade countries like Canada, emphasizing that this kind of hyperbole is used to justify the killing of tens of thousands of innocent children.

The analysts observed that the international community, particularly the over 50 nations that participated in the walkout, are aware of what “evil” looks like and are recognizing the true acts being perpetrated, as well as the lies told to ward off culpability. They argued that the growing solidarity with Palestine is not an indictment of those countries, but an indictment of every nation that has failed to join the condemnation.

The American Pillar of War

The central argument articulated by the hosts of The Young Turks is that the Israeli military campaign, which they unequivocally describe as a genocide, would cease almost immediately were it not for the unwavering and comprehensive backing of the United States. They stressed that the US is not merely endorsing the actions of the Israeli government, but fully funding and supporting them. As commentators often note in Israeli media and in the Knesset, they could not pursue their current strategy without America’s backing.

This critical perspective leads to a discussion of how the US government, through its military aid and diplomatic shielding at the UN, has the power to end the conflict but chooses not to. The hosts lament that this choice—or failure to act—is why the mass civilian casualties continue daily.

The discussion then pivoted to the effectiveness of international pressure. Drawing parallels to the fall of the South African apartheid state, the hosts argued that what truly crippled that system were economic sanctions, boycotts, and divestment. They noted the irony that in the US, supporting or engaging in boycott and divestment efforts related to the current conflict can sometimes be deemed illegal or smeared as anti-Semitic, despite the movement being supported by many Jewish activists. They asserted that economic pressure is the necessary, and thus actively suppressed, tool for change.

Propaganda and the Normalization of Atrocity

The commentators detailed how Netanyahu’s rhetoric is designed to normalize the atrocities committed daily. His insistence that his opponents “vow to repeat the atrocities of October 7th again and again” is a strategic hypothetical used to justify an ongoing campaign of real, non-hypothetical violence. They pointed out that Israel has caused massive civilian death tolls, with over 80% of the dead being non-combatants, a rate they described as equivalent to multiple “October 7th” incidents of civilians being blown apart, sniped, and targeted.

This propaganda tour, the analysts contend, is intended to make the international community “shut the hell up” and allow the conflict to proceed unhindered, enabling the gradual corralling of the remaining population into the extreme south, paving the way for ethnic cleansing and land theft. The hosts warned that the goal is the end of Palestinian society and civilization, with the surviving population destined for marginalized refugee camps and slums around the world. The payment of taxes to the US government, they noted, essentially funds the weapons and aid that perpetuates these daily war crimes.

The segment concluded with a call for reflection on the parallels between the current events and other global tragedies, such as the period following the September 11, 2001, attacks. They emphasized that this is a moment when the vast majority of people and governments around the world have reached an “enough is enough” point. Shifting the power dynamics, they argued, requires not only halting government aid but also scrutinizing the role of military contractors and technology companies that are taking windfalls from taxpayer money and becoming complicit in mass genocide and surveillance.

The mass walkout at the UN served as a powerful, non-violent political action, cementing the fact that the international community has largely rejected the Israeli government’s narrative. The challenge now lies with those nations, particularly the United States, that continue to provide the political and financial life support for a conflict that has become a devastating humanitarian crisis.