DOMINANT ANGLE
Warsaw deciphers an offensive speech where Netanyahu empties the UN hall to better designate his targets, from Qatar to Turkey, including the mayor of New York.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The President of the General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, had to intervene several times to recall order during Netanyahou's speech.
- 02
Qatar is accused of having spent billions of dollars to finance American universities and media outlets like Al Jazeera in order to "spread lies" about Israel.
- 03
Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder were arrested among around 400 protesters outside UN headquarters, where Mamdani recalled the ICC arrest warrant targeting Netanyahou.
ANALYSIS
Warsaw, September 25, 2026. The Polish press details a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu marked by tension and names cited one by one before the UN General Assembly. On Thursday, the President of the Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, had to intervene several times to recall order, while delegations left the room. Netanyahu called them "moral cowards", assuring that in defending itself, Israel also protects the interests of many countries whose representatives had just left - and that some leaders thank him privately, off-camera, for the strikes against the Iranian nuclear program.
The Israeli Prime Minister targeted several specific targets. He accused New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani - who had called him a "war criminal" - of supporting Hamas, an accusation that RMF24 notes is not supported by facts. He denounced Western European leaders, accused of giving in to "anti-Semitic crowds". He targeted Qatar and Turkey, which he accuses of spreading false information about Israel; Qatar would have spent billions of dollars to "spread lies", including by funding American universities and media like Al Jazeera. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was called a "tyrant", accused of imprisoning journalists, acting against the Kurds, and occupying northern Cyprus; Netanyahu responded directly to him on Jerusalem: "No, sir, you will not do it. It's our city."
In front of the UN headquarters, the New York police arrested some of the approximately 400 protesters gathered against Netanyahu, carrying banners "Stop arming Israel" and "End the genocide". Among those arrested were Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, star of the series "Hacks". Sarandon says she has lost roles since her public statements on Palestine: "Agencies continue to advise against hiring me."
In response, Mamdani accused Netanyahu of using the UN platform to "repeat baseless lies aimed at whitewashing a genocide" against the Palestinians, recalling that an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court weighs on him for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
