Netanyahu’s UN Address Sparks Walkouts and Youth-Led Protests Over Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations prompted diplomatic walkouts and a diverse street protest, underscoring a growing criticism of Israel’s Gaza policy among younger Americans.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent address to the United Nations in New York was met with a wave of walkouts by diplomatic delegations and a sizable protest outside the UN headquarters. The demonstrators represented a broad cross-section of society—Palestinians, Muslims, Jews, Christians, artists, scholars and numerous young activists—who voiced opposition to the ongoing devastation in Gaza. Recent polling indicates that younger Americans are markedly less supportive of the Israeli government and more favorable toward Palestinians, while still viewing Hamas unfavorably, suggesting a growing distinction between the Palestinian people and the militant group.

Political scientist Shibley Telhami explained that the visual exposure to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis on smartphones is shaping this generational shift, unlike older cohorts who recall Israel’s founding era. Jewish organizations such as T’ruah, J Street, the New Israel Fund, the New York Jewish Agenda, Partners for Progressive Israel and Jewish Voice for Peace staged their own rallies, with the latter seeing more than 100 arrests. In response, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani planted an olive tree with Gaza families and accused Netanyahu of spreading falsehoods, highlighting a stark contrast in how the conflict is being remembered locally.