by IWU-FI
25 September 2026. People inside and outside the venue condemned Benjamin Netanyahu’s presence at the UN. Despite an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court, the perpetrator of genocide appeared in New York City. When he took the podium, most of the delegations walked out of the conference hall. Virtually nobody remained; in a display of sheer impotence, his opening words were, “If there is any coward who hasn’t left the room yet, do so now,” followed by a tirade against France and the United Kingdom—his historic allies in Europe.
While Netanyahu justified actions in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Iran, and Syria, protests expressed public anger outside. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, had to address the assembly virtually because Donald Trump had denied him entry into the United States. The organisation Jewish Voice for Peace staged a sit-in with dozens of activists holding signs demanding “Stop arming Israel,” “Fund people, not bombs,” and “End the genocide.” Activists included actresses Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, plus notable U.S. arts and political figures like DSA candidate Aber Kawas, who could be the first Palestinian woman in the New York State Legislature if elected. The New York Police Department dispersed the peaceful protest and took into custody the two actresses and 100 other individuals. Despite the crackdown, the sit-in would not be the day’s only protest.
After the police broke up the sit-in, a massive mobilisation and a series of activities began. Hundreds marched through the city streets, where various activist organisations condemned the genocide and denounced the complicity of the United States; despite domestic outcry, the U.S. is preparing to send Israel a new shipment of 40,000 high-tonnage, highly destructive bombs worth $2.8 billion.
These mobilisations in the United States mirror worldwide condemnation of Netanyahu and Israel, as well as their growing isolation because of the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank. Within the U.S., this opposition has intensified—particularly among the Jewish population—giving rise to a strong anti-Zionist movement that condemns the genocide and turns the struggle to support Palestine into a source of political crisis for the Donald Trump administration.
The 81st UN General Assembly once again demonstrated its inability to halt the genocide. Despite having concluded on two occasions that Israel has committed genocidal acts in Gaza—and that its policies have systematically resulted in the deaths of over 72,000 people, including 20,000 children—the UN has allowed the perpetrator of the genocide to attend and address the assembly. Imperialist powers, while walking out of the chamber, have gone no further than imposing a few targeted sanctions and issuing strident statements; these actions have increased Israel’s isolation but have proven insufficient to stop the genocide. Despite their pro-Palestine rhetoric, the BRICS nations—such as China, India, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa—maintain massive economic ties and are expanding trade relations with Israel, thereby fuelling the military apparatus that deepens the occupation. Israel’s growing isolation and global condemnation demonstrate that millions of people around the world are willing to organise and fight in their respective countries against the genocide and the complicity of governments and diplomatic circles—which limit themselves to shed crocodile tears for the children killed in Gaza. Mobilisations to support Gaza and Palestine will continue, and major global protests are already being called for the third anniversary of 7 October.
