Israeli opposition leaders, int'l media criticize Netanyahu's UN speech for highlighting Israel's 'isolation'

As in past years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday received broad coverage around the world, with the focus this year being on the “isolation” that was ostensibly demonstrated by the walkout staged by dozens of diplomats as he entered the chamber.

Many news outlets described Netanyahu’s speech as “combative,” “fiery” or even “furious” as he defended Israel’s conduct during the war. Others also noted that the prime minister is entering the final stretch of his domestic campaign ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 elections.

Within Israel, several opposition leaders used the opportunity to accuse Netanyahu of hypocrisy after he singled out Qatar for special criticism.

"Together" party chairman Naftali Bennett had urged Netanyahu to declare Qatar an “enemy state,” and accused him of “whitewashing and legitimizing Qatar” by not explicitly doing so.

“Every moment that Netanyahu refuses to call the Qatari enemy by its name harms our national security, harms Israel's standing in the world, and harms the memory of the massacre's victims,” argued Bennett, who has been steadily declining in recent polls.

"If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opens his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York with a sharp rebuke as delegates walk out of the hall in protest of his speech. pic.twitter.com/Eq4ur5YYJi

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 24, 2026

Yair Golan, leader of the far-left "Democrats" party, sarcastically said he was surprised by the prime minister’s attacks on Qatar, saying the speech “apparently wasn’t coordinated with Yonatan Urich,” referring to Netanyahu’s former aide who is implicated in “Qatargate.”

"Yisrael Beiteinu" party chief Avigdor Lieberman echoed the claim that Netanyahu’s speech had demonstrated the country’s isolation, arguing that “Israel’s standing in the world has reached an unprecedented low!”

Pointing out that Netanyahu didn’t meet with U.S. President Donald Trump during his U.S. trip, Lieberman said, “The man, and along with him Israel, has become a pariah and a burden on the Western world.”

Netanyahu's UN Speech is*:

Of national importance: 38%
election propaganda: 34%
Unimportant: 15%

via Maagar Mochot/Chan16, Sep. 24

*fieldwork conducted before the speech

— Israel Elects (@israel_elects) September 25, 2026

During Netanyahu's speech, several hundred protesters blocked an intersection near the General Assembly hall. Police arrested several of them, reportedly including prominent anti-Israel activists like actresses Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, as well as New York City Council member Chi Osse and Mayor Zohran Mamdani's advisor, Linda Sarsour.

Netanyahu addressed them directly, asking whether they had also protested the Iranian regime, or spoken “for Christians persecuted in Iran and throughout the Middle East? No, no, you didn’t do that. Because you’re phony human rights protesters.”

Mamdani, one of the speech’s main targets, later hit back by claiming that “Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians.”

The New York Times reported that Netanyahu “lashed out” and “castigated” his “foes.” The report also emphasized that he gave a “pugnacious address” while “fighting for his political life back home.”

🔴Opposition Bloc: 55 (+1)
🔵Netanyahu Bloc: 49 (-1)
🟢Arab Parties: 12
🟣Reservists-Economic: 4

Hung Knesset https://t.co/pJ00cAVtJk

— Israel Elects (@israel_elects) September 25, 2026

The Wall Street Journal, generally among the more sympathetic major U.S. newspapers toward Israel, also described Netanyahu as “more isolated than ever,” with the report noting that a meeting with Trump didn’t materialize despite Netanyahu pushing for one.

The Associated Press said an “isolated” Netanyahu sounded a “defiant” note in his speech, noting the “master showman” appeared to aim his speech at Israeli voters.

The British BBC Network argued that the prime minister's speech was aimed not only at Israelis, but also at U.S. citizens through “clearly marked references meant for American audiences, including the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran and his praise for Trump.”

The Guardian, among the most anti-Israel outlets in Europe, called Netanyahu’s speech “inflammatory” and “controversial,” pointing to his claim that Israel’s war in Gaza is “the opposite of genocide.”