AMY GOODMAN: I’m Amy Goodman. This is Democracy Now!

Inside the United Nations today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his address to the U.N. General Assembly. This is a part of what he said.

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: The final elements, the final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City. They vow to repeat the atrocities of October 7th again and again and again, no matter how diminished their forces. That is why Israel must finish the job. That is why we want to do so as fast as possible.

AMY GOODMAN: As Netanyahu spoke, scores of delegates walked out of the U.N. General Assembly. This week, Western countries, like Britain and Australia, France, Portugal, Canada, Belgium and others, joined more than 150 other countries in recognizing the state of Palestine. That leaves only the United States on the U.N. Security Council not to have recognized Palestine. Outside the U.N. today, thousands protested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

PROTESTERS: Up, up with liberation! Up, up with liberation! Down, down with occupation!

NAS ISSA: I’m Nas Issa with the Palestinian Youth Movement. And we’re here to demand the arrest of Netanyahu, the wanted war criminal, and to demand an arms embargo on Israel for its genocide against Palestinians.

Well, you know, he’s not going to come to the U.N. without meeting the resistance of this city. You know, we’re seeing that now we even have a mayoral candidate who’s saying that if he’s elected mayor, he won’t allow Netanyahu to set foot in the city without arresting him. And so we’re seeing the growing international isolation of Netanyahu, his bloc and Israel, and that’s what we’re here to solidify.

Symbolic rejection of Netanyahu isn’t enough. Turning their backs on Netanyahu isn’t enough. They need to take action as member states of the United Nations and impose real sanctions, an arms embargo and a trade embargo on Israel.

REED BRODY: My name is Reed Brody. I’m an international war crimes prosecutor. Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, crimes against humanity, for using starvation as a weapon of war. He is a fugitive from justice. States that are parties to the ICC have a duty to arrest him, and even states like the United States, which aren’t parties, have a duty to arrest war criminals.

The United States is complicit in the war crimes being committed in Israel. The bombs that are being used to destroy Palestinian homes and schools and houses are American bombs. The campaign of extermination that Israel is carrying out is being done with American political support. The United States should be arresting him, not feting him.

NIDAA LAFI: My name is Nidaa Lafi. I’m a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, and I’m here with the thousands of people to say, you know, Netanyahu should not be at the UNGA. Actually, he should be tried for his crimes at The Hague. And, you know, we’re all here the same way we have been for the past two years, demanding that governments and leaders take real action to end the genocide, that has only escalated, right? For it to have reached this level of atrocities and for him to still have a spot at the UNGA is absolutely egregious. And that’s why I think, now more than ever, people are more agitated. People are more angry. I mean, we see, in Italy, you know, millions of people have gone on strike, right? And here the streets are filled with thousands of people, when Netanyahu’s room, when he was speaking to the UNGA, was mostly empty.

PROTESTERS: From the belly of the beast: Hands off the Middle East! Hands off the Middle East!

LETA HIRSCHMANN-LEVY: My name is Leta Hirschmann-Levy, and I’m a member of Jewish Voice for Peace. I’m disgusted that our country would allow this war criminal here. There is no reason for him to be here. He should be locked up. He should not have any power, as far as I’m concerned. He is a war criminal. He is perpetuating and creating a genocide in Gaza. He is murdering thousands of Palestinians. This is not in the name of Jewish safety. It is — goes against everything that Judaism stands for. I’m horrified that this is happening in my name as a Jewish person. I’m the descendant of Holocaust survivors. My grandparents were Holocaust survivors. He is not welcome here. He is a war criminal. And this has to end. Palestine needs to be free, liberated, with the right to return home.

MARGARET PALMQUIST: I’m Margaret. I met up with the Democratic Socialists of America contingent this morning. I wanted to come and, like, express my disgust that this war criminal is in our city, that a lot of these war criminals are in our city and dare to show their faces in public after the, like, crimes that we’ve seen against the Palestinian people, people all across the Middle East and people all — like, under the boot of imperialism all over the world.

I don’t have any time for these so-called great men. I only have a message for, like, people, which is that we are all the same. We are all together in this. And these capitalists, these war criminals and war profiteers, they do not represent us. And Netanyahu, yeah, there was always going to be someone who was going to be the head of that state. We had to have someone like Trump. And isn’t he the perfect manifestation of, you know, American id, as well? I don’t care about them. It’s about the, like, world struggle.

PROTESTERS: Free, free, free Palestine! Free, free, free Palestine!

JANE HIRSCHMANN: My name is Jane Hirschmann, and my grandson, who’s 4-and-a-half months, is named Jack Clyburn Hirschmann. And what I want to say is my grandson can have formula. He can have good healthcare. He has a safe house to live in, not a tent. What is happening in Gaza? Netanyahu is killing babies, killing these kinds of wonderful babies, who should have a life ahead of them, who should be able to go to school, see a doctor, have formula, have clothing, live in a warm house, have clean water. None of that exists for children this age in Gaza. And it is despicable what Netanyahu and his right-wing, fascist crew are doing to the people in Palestine. I want my six grandchildren to grow up with Palestinian grandchildren right beside them, living in peace and justice and equality. That’s what I want. That’s what I’ll fight for.