With the number of nations recognizing Palestine as a state climbing to 157, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood before the United Nations and declared the two-state solution “sheer madness.” His speech was a wholesale rejection of the long-standing framework for peace in the Middle East.
The address prompted a significant protest, with delegations from over 50 countries walking out of the General Assembly hall. Netanyahu delivered his remarks to a sparse audience, a potent symbol of his government’s isolation on the issue. He argued that granting statehood now is tantamount to rewarding the perpetrators of the October 7 attacks.
Netanyahu also vowed to press forward with the military campaign in Gaza, ignoring international condemnation. He stated his goal was to eliminate the last strongholds of Hamas in Gaza City to prevent any future attacks, even as reports of fresh civilian casualties emerged from the territory.
Adding to the tense atmosphere, Netanyahu claimed that world leaders who condemn him in public praise him in private for Israel’s intelligence capabilities. This unverified claim, along with his use of a QR code to show attack footage, highlighted a focus on public relations alongside his hardline political message.
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