{"id":624896,"date":"2026-09-23T11:58:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T11:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/624896\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T11:58:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T11:58:20","slug":"world-leaders-put-israel-at-center-of-un-general-assembly-as-criticism-mounts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/624896\/","title":{"rendered":"World leaders put Israel at center of UN General Assembly as criticism mounts"},"content":{"rendered":"

The opening day of the 81st UN General Assembly<\/a> general debate highlighted Israel\u2019s growing diplomatic isolation on Tuesday, as a succession of world leaders made the war in Gaza, Israeli policy in the West Bank, and Israeli activity across the region central themes of their speeches.<\/p>\n

Among the most prominent critics were Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordan\u2019s King Abdullah II, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The general debate opened on Tuesday, September 22, as part of the UN leaders\u2019 week in New York.<\/p>\n

UN secretary-general: \u2018Ethnic cleansing\u2019<\/p>\n

The outgoing UN secretary-general was the first to speak and the first to criticize Israel. Antonio Guterres devoted a substantial portion of his address to sharp criticism of Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.<\/p>\n

Guterres began by condemning Hamas\u2019s October 7 attack, which he described as an \u201cabhorrent\u201d terrorist attack, but said it was followed by an Israeli offensive in Gaza that led to \u201ca scale of death and destruction I have not seen in all my years as secretary-general.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cited the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the case against Israel and called on all sides to comply with international law and the court\u2019s decisions.<\/p>\n

\"UnitedUnited Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (credit: REUTERS\/BRENDAN MCDERMID TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)<\/p>\n

At the same time, Guterres criticized Israeli policy in the West Bank, warning that violence, the displacement of Palestinians, and settlement expansion were \u201ccrushing the path to peace\u201d and, in his words, raising the \u201cspecter of ethnic cleansing.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also called for the UN and aid organizations to be allowed to operate in Gaza and for their workers to be protected, warning that continued developments on the ground could effectively lead to the disappearance of the two-state solution.<\/p>\n

Erdogan: \u2018A genocidal mindset that is never satisfied with killing\u2019<\/p>\n

One of the sharpest attacks came, as expected, from the Turkish president<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Erdogan accused Israel of \u201cstate terrorism\u201d in Gaza and claimed that the Strip had become \u201cthe most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the number of people killed in Gaza, including women and children, could no longer be regarded as a collateral consequence of the war.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are facing a genocidal mindset that is never satisfied with killing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Erdogan broadened his criticism to include the West Bank and Jerusalem. He spoke of \u201cviolence and terrorism\u201d by settlers and claimed that Muslims and Christians were being harmed in their access to holy sites.<\/p>\n

The Turkish president called on countries that have not yet recognized a Palestinian state to reconsider their position and urged the international community to increase pressure on Israel in order to enable the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and advance the diplomatic process.<\/p>\n

\"Turkey'sTurkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (credit: REUTERS\/BRENDAN MCDERMID)<\/p>\n

The Israeli delegation left the hall during his speech.<\/p>\n

King Abdullah: \u2018Make a Palestinian state impossible\u2019<\/p>\n

Jordan<\/a>\u2019s King Abdullah II focused on the claim that Israel is systematically changing realities in Gaza and the West Bank.<\/p>\n

He accused the Israeli government of prolonging the fighting and placing obstacles in the way of US President Donald Trump\u2019s efforts to advance an agreement.<\/p>\n

Abdullah said that for decades the international community had chosen \u201cto manage the conflict, not confront it,\u201d and that Israeli measures initially perceived as temporary had gradually become permanent policy.<\/p>\n

\"Jordan'sJordan’s King Abdullah II addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (credit: REUTERS\/BRENDAN MCDERMID)<\/p>\n

In the West Bank, the king pointed to settlement expansion, land seizures, settler violence, and the forcible transfer of Palestinians.<\/p>\n

He said reality was being altered in the two arenas in different ways: in Gaza through destruction, and in the West Bank through \u201cde facto annexation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The goal, he claimed, was \u201cto make a viable Palestinian state impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qatari emir: \u2018Genocide in the fullest sense of the word\u2019<\/p>\n

Qatar\u2019s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also used particularly harsh language.<\/p>\n

He said what had taken place in Gaza was \u201cgenocide in the fullest sense of the word\u201d and \u201ca stain of shame on the conscience of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

He argued that the test of the international community was its ability to restrain what he described as Israeli aggression, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria.<\/p>\n

The emir also criticized calls in Israel to encourage Palestinian emigration from Gaza, which he said were in practice an attempt to impose displacement.<\/p>\n

\"Qatar'sQatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (credit: QATAR NEWS AGENCY\/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)<\/p>\n

He accused Israel of failing to meet commitments connected to the ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops, and the expansion of aid deliveries, and declared that it was impossible to speak of a just international order \u201cas long as Palestine remains a blind spot within it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel rejects allegations that it is committing genocide and says its operations are directed against Hamas and are being conducted in accordance with the laws of war.<\/p>\n

Macron and Burnham: Criticism also comes from the West<\/p>\n

French President Emmanuel Macron adopted a critical line, although one more restrained than that of the region\u2019s leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is our credibility worth if we remain inactive in the face of Gaza?\u201d he asked, calling the situation in the Strip \u201ca spectacle that shames us all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Macron also criticized increasing settler violence in the West Bank and argued that it was harming Palestinian rights and the prospects of reaching a two-state solution.<\/p>\n

The French president sparked anger in Jerusalem after claiming that Hamas was not active in the West Bank.<\/p>\n

Later, a French diplomatic source told <\/a>The Jerusalem Post<\/a>\u00a0that Macron’s comments had been mistranslated: the statement was translated as “Hamas has never been particularly active,” but the meaning of the French phrase stated by Macron, “le Hamas n’a jamais s\u00e9vi en Cisjordanie,” is “Hamas has never governed the West Bank.”<\/p>\n

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham began by condemning the October 7 attack and stressing that Britain stood alongside Israel and Jewish communities in the face of threats from Iran and Hamas.<\/p>\n

\"BritishBritish Prime Minister Andy Burnham addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (credit: REUTERS\/EDUARDO MUNOZ)<\/p>\n

However, he added: \u201cThis does not justify the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza or the West Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burnham said London \u201cwill not stand by\u201d while Palestinian suffering continues and the chances of a two-state solution are eroded.<\/p>\n

He particularly criticized construction plans in the E1 area<\/a> and defended his government\u2019s decision to impose restrictions on activity connected to settlements.<\/p>\n

Lula: \u2018The pain and trauma will remain for generations\u2019<\/p>\n

Brazilian President Lula da Silva also devoted part of his speech to the Middle East, linking it to broader criticism of the paralysis of UN mechanisms.<\/p>\n

\"Brazil'sBrazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. (credit: REUTERS\/MIKE SEGAR)<\/p>\n

Lula said that \u201cgenerations of Palestinians\u201d would carry the \u201cpain and trauma\u201d left by what he described as the genocide of women and children.<\/p>\n

He also criticized settlement expansion in the West Bank and argued that it was making the two-state solution increasingly difficult to achieve.<\/p>\n

Amichai Stein contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The opening day of the 81st UN General Assembly general debate highlighted Israel\u2019s growing diplomatic isolation on Tuesday,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624897,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[132793,207493,6603,1083,132794,99,2226,50,69,51,42,46,2286,43,1823,26719,58,40,38,41,39,1582,4497,2621,77],"class_list":["post-624896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-abdullah-ii","tag-andy-burnham","tag-antonio-guterres","tag-brazil","tag-emir-sheikh-tamim-bin-hamad-al-thani","tag-emmanuel-macron","tag-france","tag-gaza","tag-gaza-strip","tag-hamas","tag-headlines","tag-israel","tag-jordan","tag-news","tag-qatar","tag-recep-tayyip-erdogan","tag-the-october-7-massacre","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-turkey","tag-united-nations","tag-united-nations-general-assembly","tag-west-bank"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}