World Leaders Turn UN General Assembly Into Forum for Criticism of Israel

The opening session of the 81st United Nations General Assembly’s general debate on Tuesday placed Israel prominently at the center of speeches by numerous world leaders, with Gaza, Israeli policies in Judea and Samaria, and Israel’s regional activities drawing extensive attention.

Among the leading figures criticizing Israel were Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordanian 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 leaders’ general debate began on September 22 during the UN’s annual leaders’ week in New York.

UN secretary-general: ‘Ethnic cleansing’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the general debate and devoted considerable attention to Israel’s conduct in Gaza and Judea and Samaria, sharply criticizing Israeli policies and warning about their consequences.

Guterres first condemned Hamas’s October 7 attack, calling it an “abhorrent” terrorist attack. He then said Israel’s military campaign in Gaza had resulted in “a scale of death and destruction I have not seen in all my years as secretary-general.”

He referred to the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in proceedings involving Israel and urged all parties to observe international law as well as the court’s decisions.

Guterres also condemned Israeli policies in Judea and Samaria, saying settler violence, Palestinian displacement, and settlement growth were “crushing the path to peace” and creating what he described as the “specter of ethnic cleansing.”

He additionally called for UN agencies and humanitarian organizations to be permitted to work in Gaza and for their personnel to receive protection. He warned that the continuing situation could ultimately undermine the viability of a two-state solution.

Erdogan: ‘A genocidal mindset that is never satisfied with killing’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered one of the most forceful criticisms of Israel during the opening day of the debate.

Erdogan accused Israel of engaging in “state terrorism” in Gaza and described the territory as “the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time.”

He argued that the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza, including women and children, could not simply be considered an unintended consequence of the conflict.

“We are facing a genocidal mindset that is never satisfied with killing,” he said.

Erdogan extended his criticism to Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem, alleging “violence and terrorism” by Israeli settlers and claiming that Muslims and Christians were facing restrictions or harm involving access to holy sites.

He urged countries that have not recognized a Palestinian state to reconsider their positions. He also called for greater international pressure on Israel, saying it was necessary to facilitate Gaza’s reconstruction and move the diplomatic process forward.

The Israeli delegation walked out of the UN chamber while Erdogan was speaking.

King Abdullah: ‘Make a Palestinian state impossible’

Jordan’s King Abdullah II centered his remarks on what he characterized as deliberate changes to conditions in Gaza and Judea and Samaria.

He accused Israel’s government of extending the conflict and creating barriers to US President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach an agreement.

Abdullah argued that the international community had spent decades choosing “to manage the conflict, not confront it,” while policies that were initially described as temporary had eventually become entrenched.

The Jordanian monarch highlighted settlement expansion, land seizures, settler violence, and the displacement of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.

He said the situation was being transformed differently in Gaza and Judea and Samaria, describing the changes in Gaza as destruction and those in Judea and Samaria as “de facto annexation.”

According to Abdullah, the stated outcome of these developments was “to make a viable Palestinian state impossible.”

Qatari emir: ‘Genocide in the fullest sense of the word’

Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani likewise used strong language when discussing the war in Gaza.

He described events in Gaza as “genocide in the fullest sense of the word” and called them “a stain of shame on the conscience of humanity.”

The emir said the international community’s challenge was to restrain what he characterized as Israeli aggression not only in Gaza but also in Judea and Samaria, Lebanon, and Syria.

Al Thani also criticized proposals in Israel encouraging Palestinians to leave Gaza, arguing that such efforts amounted in practice to an attempt to forcibly displace the population.

He accused Israel of failing to fulfill obligations involving the ceasefire, troop withdrawals, and increased humanitarian assistance. He said a fair international system could not exist “as long as Palestine remains a blind spot within it.”

Israel rejects allegations that it is committing genocide and maintains that its military operations are aimed at Hamas and conducted in accordance with the laws of war.

Macron and Burnham: Criticism also comes from the West

French President Emmanuel Macron also criticized Israel, although his remarks were more measured than those delivered by several Middle Eastern leaders.

“What is our credibility worth if we remain inactive in the face of Gaza?” he asked, describing conditions in the territory as “a spectacle that shames us all.”

Macron also condemned rising settler violence in Judea and Samaria and said it was undermining Palestinian rights as well as prospects for achieving a two-state solution.

A statement by Macron concerning Hamas and Judea and Samaria subsequently generated criticism in Jerusalem.

A French diplomatic source later told The Jerusalem Post that Macron’s remarks had been mistranslated. The statement was translated as “Hamas has never been particularly active,” while the French phrase Macron actually used, “le Hamas n’a jamais sévi en Cisjordanie,” means “Hamas has never governed Judea and Samaria.”

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham opened his remarks by condemning the October 7 attack and emphasizing Britain’s support for Israel and Jewish communities confronting threats from Iran and Hamas.

However, he added: “This does not justify the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza or Judea and Samaria.”

Burnham said London “will not stand by” as Palestinian suffering continues and the possibility of achieving a two-state solution becomes more difficult.

He specifically criticized proposed construction in the E1 area and defended the British government’s decision to impose restrictions on activities associated with Israeli settlements.

Lula: ‘The pain and trauma will remain for generations’

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also addressed the Middle East, connecting the conflict to his broader criticism of what he described as failures within the United Nations system.

Lula said that “generations of Palestinians” would continue to carry the “pain and trauma” resulting from what he characterized as the genocide of women and children.

He also criticized the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, arguing that the development was making the establishment of a two-state solution increasingly difficult.