(Gray News) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making headlines for his comparison of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks against his people to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
In his speech Thursday at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Netanyahu said the Oct. 7 attacks were equivalent to “16 9/11s.”
“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 16 times 9/11. Sixteen 9/11s.”
Netanyahu said the attack left Israel with no choice but to hit Hamas hard. Many governments have accused Israel of committing war crimes, and Netanyahu himself faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court accusing him of crimes against humanity.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has long been a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and has called Netanyahu a “war criminal” who is “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.”
In a statement, Mamdani repeated his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, where more than 73,000 people have been killed since Netanyahu launched a punishing war in retaliation for the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
Netanyahu said allegations of genocide are “the biggest lie of the century.”
He told world leaders in a defiant speech that asserted his nation’s right to wage war against Iran. His voice rising in emphasis, Netanyahu said attacking Iran “was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
A mass of delegates walked out of the U.N. General Assembly when Netanyahu took the podium to speak. Netanyahu said those who walked out before his speech were “moral cowards.”
“If there are any other moral cowards who have not yet left this hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu said.
He added, “In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes.”
Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.