Netanyahu compares Oct 7 attack to 16 9/11s in speech marked by walkouts

He also defended Israel's military action against Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack was, in proportionate terms, equivalent to 16 September 11 attacks in the United States. Recalling the attack, Netanyahu said Hamas militants had killed about 1,200 people in Israel, including civilians, and abducted 251 others. “These Hamas monsters, they slaughtered Holocaust survivors. They burned babies alive in front of their parents. They beheaded our men. They brutally raped our women. And then they murdered them. Altogether, they slaughtered 1,200 Israelis that day. I want to give you an idea of what this means for a country of 10 million. Proportionately, this is equal to 40,000 innocent Americans slaughtered in less than 24 hours. That's 16 times 9/11. 16 9/11s that occurred not very far from here. On that darkest of days, our enemies expected us to collapse. Well, we didn't collapse. Instead, we rose and fought like lions.”

Netanyahu's remarks came after days of speeches from world leaders condemning Israel’s war in Gaza and accusing his government of genocide against Palestinians. He rejected the allegations, calling Israeli genocide claims “the biggest lie of the century”. His appearance was marked by a mass walkout, with scores of delegates leaving the chamber as he approached the rostrum. Netanyahu responded by calling those who left “moral cowards”.

“In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,” Netanyahu said. “In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes.”

He also defended Israel’s decision to attack Iran, saying it was “one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make”, and thanked US President Donald Trump for his actions against Tehran.

Netanyahu's speech also addressed violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, which he described as involving a “handful of young juvenile delinquents”. He said, “I can’t stand that. I won’t stand for vigilantism,” while accusing foreign leaders and international media of exaggerating the scale of the violence.

His address came as Israel faced growing international criticism over its conduct of the Gaza war. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 73,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s subsequent offensive, while Israel maintains control over large parts of the territory and continues military operations.