United Nations General Assembly, September 22, 2026. Photo courtesy of the White House
RYFI
Opinion Editor
The United Nations was at their General Assembly in New York City, from Sept. 22 until Sept. 28
United States (US) President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have all spoken at the assembly.
These speakers are important because they are involved in current conflicts that are important issues on the floor.
Several speakers from different countries have spoken as well, which will also be covered.
When Benjamin Netanyahu began his speech, 77 countries walked out and protesters gathered outside of the UN building in New York.
Netanyahu responded to the walk-out by saying to the delegates remaining, “If there are any other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now.”
Netanyahu’s speech has been described as defiant by the Associated Press, in which he spoke of the genocide in Gaza.
He claimed that the genocide is “The Greatest Lie of the Century.”
He also attacked key figures who weren’t present at the meeting, with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani being the primary target.
Mamdani had attempted to use the International Criminal Court’s warrant to arrest Netanyahu in New York but was subsequently unable to as he had no jurisdiction in his position.
Netanyahu then called Mamdani the “antisemitic mayor of New York” while arguing that Mamdani has made Jewish New Yorkers feel unsafe in the city.
Mamdani has argued that his criticism of Israel does not equal antisemitism.
He also argued that his advocation for the freeing of Palestinian people does not equate to antisemitism, which segues into the next leader who spoke.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also spoke at the assembly. However, he was unable to speak in the conference, as the US denied his visa to attend the General Assembly.
Abbas, who is 90 years old, spoke of the displacement of Palestinians by saying: “We will not leave our homeland. We will not accept displacement. And we will not allow anyone to decide our future on our behalf.”
He also advocated for more efficient action against Israel, as his fellow delegates spoke on the struggle of the Palestinian people for several days before Abbas spoke.
The President is not the only segment of the Palestinian government, as Hamas had also spoken on the war at about the same time as the meeting.
A spokesperson for Hamas, Hazem Qassem, said that the group is ready to move forward with the next steps of the peace agreement.
Israel continues to say that it will not allow reconstruction until Hamas disarms.
Hamas had previously agreed to disarm, but stopped after accusations of violating the ceasefire were brought against Israel.
Speaking on Netanyahu again, he also stated in his speech that the coordinated attack on Iran by Israel and the US was “was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make.” He also thanked President Trump for acting against Iran, and predicted the fall of the Iranian Government.
Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at the General Assembly, which is very rare for a country during wartime.
He is also speaking after narrowly escaping with his life from an airstrike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni.
Pezeshkian defended the right for Iran to exist to the Assembly, making the argument that the country is abiding by international law while also calling the US and Israel “bullies” for not abiding by international law.
Pezeshkian also brought with him Iranians Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi.
Araghchi met with more than 20 diplomats and had a direct meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss new offers of peace.
The meeting with Witkoff is an attempt to break the deadlock that has been in effect for the past three months. However, US Diplomats say that an agreement will take time.
While the conflicts in the Middle East are among the most important issues for the UN, there is an ongoing war that is also on the table.
The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been roaring since 2022, and the broader conflict has been ongoing since 2014.
Zelenskyy spoke on Wednesday advocating for stronger pressure on Russia for the war in Ukraine to end.
He said of the war: “For almost five years now, Russian generals have been trying to carry out Putin’s crazy order to seize our eastern land, the Donetsk region […] It’s madness but they still keep going.”
He also warned that the effects of this conflict are spreading beyond Ukraine, with him specifically pointing to the involvement of North Korean troops in the fight.
Zelenskyy continued by warning about Russia’s expansionist rhetoric, pointing to the threats to Moldova, Poland, and the Baltic States.
The death toll in this war is estimated as high as 500,000 plus.
This UN conference is set to be a very pivotal one. It’s important to stay alert and aware of what is happening at this conference.