Representatives from several countries walked out of the UN General Assembly hall ahead of a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On the same day, Slovenia barred Netanyahu from entering its territory due to ongoing legal proceedings accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Slovenian ban follows similar actions taken in July against Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister of Finance and Defense Bezalel Smotrich. In mid-September, the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent Commission reported at least four incidents in Gaza amounting to alleged genocide against Palestinians, claims Israel denies.
The 80th session of the UN General Assembly began on September 9, 2025, and will conclude on September 8, 2026. The high-level segment runs from September 22 to 30. Netanyahu departed Tel Aviv for New York on the night of September 25, stating he would criticize countries recognizing Palestinian statehood and that he would meet US President Donald Trump on September 29.
Netanyahu avoided states recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed at least between October 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024.” Israeli officials called this measure antisemitic.
Netanyahu’s office announced that, by his order, the Israeli military would broadcast his UN speech to Palestinians in Gaza using loudspeakers mounted on trucks along the Israeli side of the border.
