‘Murdering Jews pays off’: Netanyahu slams Western recognition of Palestinian state at UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday slammed Western countries for recognising Palestinian statehood, accusing them of legitimising violence against Jews.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu said such moves send the dangerous message that “murdering Jews pays off.”

In his sharpest criticism yet, the Israeli leader pushed back against a series of recent diplomatic steps by key US allies, actions that have further isolated Israel on the world stage amid its nearly two-year-long war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

“This week, the leaders of France, Britain, Australia, Canada and other countries unconditionally recognised a Palestinian state. They did so after the horrors committed by Hamas on October 7 – horrors praised on that day by nearly 90% of the Palestinian population,” Reuters quoted Netanyahu as saying.

“You know what message the leaders who recognise the Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians?” Netanyahu said. “It’s a very clear message: murdering Jews pays off.”

As more countries voice support for Palestinian independence, Israel’s most right-wing government to date has issued its strongest rejection yet of the creation of a Palestinian state.

The declaration comes as Israel continues its military campaign against Hamas, following the group’s October 7, 2023 attack that left approximately 1,200 people dead, according to Israeli figures.

In response, Israel launched a sustained offensive in Gaza, which has so far killed more than 65,000 people and caused widespread devastation, according to local health authorities in the Palestinian territory.

Scores of delegates exited the hall as Netanyahu took the stage while attendees in the balcony rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation.

“Over time, many world leaders buckled. They buckled under the pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and antisemitic mobs. There’s a familiar saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, for many countries here, when the going got tough, you caved,” Netanyahu said.

“Behind closed doors, many of the leaders who publicly condemn us privately thank us. They tell me how much they value Israel’s superb intelligence services that have prevented, time and again, terrorist attacks in their capitals.”

Frustration with Israel’s military siege of Gaza and US President Donald Trump’s refusal to rein in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu erupted at the UN this week, as Australia, Britain, Canada, France, and several other nations made a dramatic shift by recognising a Palestinian state.

They argued the move was necessary to preserve the two-state solution and help end the war.

Netanyahu took the podium after Arab and Muslim leaders accused Israel of genocide and war crimes, allegations Israel strongly denies. Responding to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, Netanyahu dismissed what he called “the false charge of genocide.”

Meanwhile, Hamas has offered to release all remaining hostages, about 20 are believed to be alive, if Israel agrees to end the war and withdraw from Gaza.

Netanyahu’s emotional message to hostages

“Much of the world no longer remembers October 7. But we remember,” Netanyahu said, addressing hostages still held in Gaza. “We’ve not forgotten you — not even for a second.”

He said loudspeakers were set up along the Gaza border to broadcast his speech into the enclave, hoping the captives would hear his message.

Trump, speaking Thursday, claimed a deal to end the war and release the hostages was “close,” though he gave no details.

Netanyahu, under pressure from hostage families and a war-weary public, remains firm that the war must continue until Hamas is dismantled.

Still, Trump has remained Israel’s key backer. At the UN, he warned that recognising Palestinian statehood could reward Hamas for “horrible atrocities” and fuel further violence.

While international support for Palestinian recognition grows, full UN membership still requires Security Council approval, where the US holds veto power.

Abbas condemns Gaza war

Denied a US visa, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN via video, calling Israel’s actions “a war of genocide.”

He welcomed the recognitions of Palestinian statehood, pledged the Palestinian Authority is ready to govern post-war Gaza, and insisted Hamas must be disarmed and excluded.

In response to the rising recognition, some of Netanyahu’s hardline ministers have pushed to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

But Trump ruled that out on Thursday, saying: “It’s not going to happen,” after hearing concerns from Arab leaders.

His stance could strain relations with Netanyahu ahead of their White House meeting on Monday, their fourth since Trump returned to office, potentially turning a previously warm relationship into a more complicated encounter.

With inputs from agencies

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