Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply denounced Western countries on Friday (September 26) for embracing Palestinian statehood, accusing them of sending the message that "murdering Jews pays off."

Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, the Israeli leader pushed back in his harshest terms yet against a flurry of diplomatic moves by leading U.S. allies that deepened Israel’s international isolation over its conduct of a nearly two-year-old war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

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

With more countries joining the list of those endorsing Palestinian independence, the most right-wing government in Israeli history has made its strongest declaration yet that there will be no Palestinian state as it pushes on with its fight against Hamas following the militants' October 7, 2023, rampage in Israel. Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military response has killed more than 65,000 people in Gaza, according to local health officials, and left much of the territory in ruins.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Netanyahu tells UN backing Palestinian statehood sends message: Murdering Jews pays off

VIDEO SHOWS: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ADDRESSING THE 80TH UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY (UNGA), SOUNDBITES FROM NETANYAHU

EDITORS NOTE: THIS EDIT IS AN UPDATE, FOR MORE PLEASE CHECK 8312-UN-ASSEMBLY/NETANYAHU-SPEECH & 8341-UN-ASSEMBLY/NETANYAHU-WALKOUT-MOMENT

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: UNITED NATIONS (SEPTEMBER 26, 2025) (UNTV - Access all)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SPEAKING AT UNGA:

"Take the false charge of genocide. Israel is accused of deliberately targeting civilians. Ladies and gentlemen, the opposite is true. The head of Urban Warfare studies, Colonel John Spencer. He's perhaps the world's greatest expert on urban warfare. And he says 'Israel is applying more measures to minimize civilian casualties than any military in history.' And because we're doing that, the ratio of noncombatant to combatant casualties is less than 2 to 1 in Gaza. That's an astoundingly low ratio, lower than NATO's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, especially when you consider that Gaza is one of the most densely populated urban areas on earth."

2. WIDE OF NETANYAHU SPEAKING AT UNGA

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"And this charge is so baseless, the comparison to genocide, wholesale slaughter of populations. What did the Nazis ask the Jews to leave? Kindly leave, go out? The others, you want me to name all the genocidal leaders of history? Just go one by one. Did anyone do this? Did they say, Get out so we can come in? Of course not."

4. WIDE OF NETANYAHU SPEAKING AT UNGA

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"Israel is accused of deliberately, deliberately starving the people of Gaza. When Israel is deliberately feeding the people of Gaza."

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"If there are Gazans who don't have enough food, it's because Hamas is stealing it. Hamas steals it, hoards it, and sells it at exorbitant prices to fight its war machine."

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"The leaders who recognise the Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians. It's a very clear message: Murdering Jews pays off. Well, I have a message for these leaders. When the most savage terrorists on Earth are effusively praising your decision. You didn't do something right. You did something wrong, horribly wrong. Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere."

8. EMPTY SEATS FOR PALESTINE DELEGATES

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

(SOUNDBITE STARTS OVER PREVIOUS SHOT)

"The persistent Palestinian rejection of a Jewish state in any boundary is what has driven this conflict for over a century. And is still driving it. It's not the absence of a Palestinian state. It's the presence in existence of a Jewish state."

10. WIDE OF NETANYAHU SPEAKING AT UNGA

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"We've heard these promises for decades. They (Hamas) always promise they never deliver. Because, you see, the Palestinian Authority is corrupt to the core."

12. WIDE OF NETANYAHU SPEAKING AT UNGA

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"Giving the Palestinians a state, one mile from Jerusalem after October 7th is like giving Al Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11th. This is sheer madness. It's insane. And we won't do it."

14. ISRAELI DELEGATES APPLAUDING

15. U.S. DELEGATES APPLAUDING

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"So, here's another message to those Western leaders. Israel will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats."

17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"Today, we have begun serious negotiations with the new Syrian government. I believe an agreement can be reached that respects Syria's sovereignty and protects both Israeli security and the security of the minorities in the region, including the Druze minority."

18. WIDE OF NETANYAHU SPEAKING AT UNGA

19. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"Peace between Israel and Lebanon is possible as well. I call on the Lebanese government to also begin direct negotiations with Israel. I commend it for its declared aim to disarm Hezbollah. But we need more than words. If Lebanon takes genuine and sustained action to disarm Hezbollah, I'm sure we can achieve a sustainable peace."

20. WIDE OF NETANYAHU SPEAKING AT UNGA

21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"Victory over Hamas will make peace possible with nations throughout the Arab and Muslim world. Our victory would lead to a dramatic extension and expansion of the historic Abraham Accords, which President Trump brokered between Arab leaders and myself five years ago."

22. WIDE OF NETANYAHU AT THE END OF HIS SPEECH

23. ISRAELI DELEGATES STANDING AND APPLAUDING

24. WIDE OF NETANYAHU LEAVING UNGA PODIUM