A fierce attack against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was launched by Benjamin Netanyahu from the podium of the UN General Assembly, with special references to Greece and Cyprus. During his 40-minute address, the Israeli Prime Minister called the Turkish president a “tyrant,” accused him of “illegally occupying northern Cyprus,” and of “systematically violating international law against Greece.” He also defended Israel’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, while addressing Hamas, Gaza, and Israel’s alliance with the United States at length. Netanyahu’s remarks against Erdoğan — including his statements on Cyprus and Greece — were also covered by Israeli media.
Read also: Benjamin Netanyahu: Second consecutive walkout by delegates during his speech at the UN General Assembly
Netanyahu: “He is a tyrant” – the reference to Greece and Cyprus
Referring to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Netanyahu said: “He is a tyrant. He also hosts the leaders of the terrorist organization Hamas. He has killed thousands of Kurdish civilians. He denies the Armenian Genocide, jails journalists and opposition leaders. In fact, I think he holds the world record on this.” He continued: “He illegally occupies northern Cyprus, which is a member of the European Union, and systematically violates international law against Greece, which is a member of NATO. Now he wants to take over Syria. He says he will become the ruler of Jerusalem. No, sir, that is not going to happen.”
These remarks came just hours after Netanyahu’s meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where the two leaders discussed regional developments, energy cooperation, and preparations for a new trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel.
The UK and France “invented” colonialism but are now among the countries accusing Israel of colonialism, says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York. https://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube https://t.co/jLyp3AJrYz
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 24, 2026
The walkouts from the chamber and the message on Iran
Shortly before his speech, dozens of country representatives walked out of the chamber, prompting Netanyahu to comment: “If there are any other cowards, let them leave now.” Those who remained applauded him loudly. Netanyahu went on to defend his country’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, arguing that had the strike not taken place, “we would all be dead.” He also stated that Israel defends even those countries whose delegations had walked out of the room, and claimed that leaders of other nations have privately thanked him for the strikes against Iran’s nuclear program.
The Israeli Prime Minister also turned his fire on France and the United Kingdom over accusations of colonialism leveled at Israel. “They accuse Israel — tiny Israel — of colonialism. What colonialism?” he said, and addressing British and French critics, added: “For God’s sake, they are the ones who invented the term,” arguing that “their colonies covered the entire planet.”
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: Now, the latest country to become a super spreader of antisemitic lies is Türkiye: Erdoğan. Erdoğan is a tyrant. He jails journalists and opposition leaders. In fact, I think he holds the world’s record on this. And that’s a tough call, but I think he’s number one. He calls for Israel’s destruction almost every single day. He says he’s going to be the ruler of Jerusalem. No, sir, you won’t. This is our country, our city, our eternal capital.
— Tabz (@TabzLIVE) September 24, 2026
🚨 JUST IN: 🇮🇱 Netanyahu accuses Türkiye of becoming the latest “super spreader of antisemitic lies,” directly naming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The remarks came during Netanyahu’s address at the UN General Assembly. #JUSTIN #Netanyahu #Erdogan #Türkiye #Israel #UNGA #Geopolitics
— News Forge (@NewsXForge) September 24, 2026
October 7th, Gaza, and the alliance with Trump
In his speech, Netanyahu described the October 7th attack as “the darkest day in Israel’s history,” accusing Hamas of murdering approximately 1,200 Israelis and recounting killings of civilians, rape, arson, and other acts of violence. He argued that Israel’s enemies had expected the country to collapse following the attack, but “we fought like lions,” as he put it, describing a war fought “on seven fronts” for three years. He also referenced his brother, Yoni Netanyahu, who was killed during the Entebbe operation, recalling his words during the Six-Day War: “He told me we would win. We have no other choice.”
He made particular mention of Donald Trump, describing him as a vital ally of Israel. “In this battle against the barbarians, we had no greater ally than President Trump,” he declared, thanking him for his “courageous leadership” and asserting that the strikes against Iran were aimed at “saving civilization.”
Netanyahu also spoke of an “eighth front,” which he described as the battle for truth in international media and on social media. In this context, he attacked Qatar, accusing it of funding American universities and media outlets for decades — including Al Jazeera — with the alleged aim of turning young people against Israel, the United States, and the West. Finally, responding to criticism over operations in Gaza, he argued that Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as “human shields” and employs hospitals, schools, and mosques as command centers, while stating that Israel made efforts to move civilians away from areas of military operations.
