During his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on the 26th of last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wore a blazer with a QR code on it. The code led to pictures and information on Hamas’s unexpected attack on the Palestinian Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu told the crowd, “Take out your phones and scan the code.” He also said, “You will see why we are fighting and why we must win.”
“Let’s try a pop quiz,” Netanyahu said as he put up a quiz sheet with multiple-choice questions. “Who chanted ‘Death to America’?” and “Who killed Americans and Europeans without mercy?” The choices were Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and “All of the above.” Netanyahu wrote “All of the above” in black pen next to the right answer.
Netanyahu has used props in UN speeches before to show off, and others have compared him to a “Middle East’s top lecturer.” He used a bomb-shaped diagram to criticize Iran’s nuclear program in 2012, then in 2018, he showed pictures of what he said were covert Iranian nuclear sites. This tactic used to get a lot of attention from other countries, but this year was different. More and more people around the world were critical of Israel for the deaths of civilians in Gaza, and more and more countries recognized Palestine as a state. Over 100 delegates from 70 countries, including several from the Middle East and Africa, stormed out as Netanyahu ascended the stage. People cheered and clapped till the last demonstrator left. Netanyahu called the vote to recognize Palestine as a state “dishonorable” during his hour-long speech. He also told Hamas, “If you do not release all hostages, Israel will hunt you down.”
That day, protests against Israel broke out in New York. *The New York Times* says that protesters gathered near the UN headquarters early in the morning and chanted, “Arrest Netanyahu” and “Stop the starvation in Gaza.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro attended the rally and said, “Disobey Trump’s orders and follow the laws of humanity.” The U.S. State Department said, “We will take away Petro’s visa because of his reckless and inflammatory actions.” There had also been protests the day before Netanyahu arrived, which led to 14 arrests. About 20 people protested near his hotel about midnight by drumming and yelling, “Let Netanyahu have a sleepless night.” During his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on the 26th of last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s blazer badge had a QR code on it. The code led to pictures and information on Hamas’s unexpected attack on the Palestinian Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu told the crowd, “Take out your phones and scan the code.” He also said, “You will see why we are fighting and why we must win.”
“Let’s try a pop quiz,” Netanyahu said as he put up a quiz sheet with multiple-choice questions. “Who chanted ‘Death to America’?” and “Who killed Americans and Europeans without mercy?” The choices were Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and “All of the above.” Netanyahu wrote “All of the above” in black pen next to the right answer.
Netanyahu has used props in UN speeches before to show off, and others have compared him to a “Middle East’s top lecturer.” He used a bomb-shaped diagram to criticize Iran’s nuclear program in 2012, then in 2018, he showed pictures of what he said were covert Iranian nuclear sites. This tactic used to get a lot of attention from other countries, but this year was different. More and more people around the world were critical of Israel for the deaths of civilians in Gaza, and more and more countries recognized Palestine as a state. Over 100 delegates from 70 countries, including several from the Middle East and Africa, stormed out as Netanyahu ascended the stage. There were cheers and claps till the last protester left. Netanyahu called the state’s recognition of Palestine a “dishonorable decision” during his hour-long speech. He also told Hamas, “If you do not release all hostages, Israel will hunt you down.”
That day, there were protests in New York against Israel. *The New York Times* says that protesters gathered near the UN headquarters early in the morning and chanted, “Arrest Netanyahu” and “Stop the starvation in Gaza.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro attended the rally and said, “Disobey Trump’s orders and follow the laws of humanity.” The U.S. State Department said, “We will take away Petro’s visa because of his reckless and inflammatory actions.” There were additional protests the day before Netanyahu arrived, which led to 14 arrests. Around midnight, roughly 20 people protested outside his hotel by banging drums and screaming, “Let Netanyahu have a sleepless night.”
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