Benjamin Netanyahu comes to New York, argues to the world that October 7 was like ‘sixteen 9/11s’ at once

Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the United Nations General Assembly. Or, at least, he spoke in the room, as many delegates left the room before he began his remarks. Netanyahu pilloried those who left as “moral cowards.”

The speech’s content also isn’t likely to win him any friends. He singled out streamer Hasan Piker for criticism, slammed Zohran Mamdani as “the antisemitic mayor of New York,” and described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “the opposite of a genocide.” Netanyahu’s claim runs counter to a 2025 United Nations commission, which concluded, “Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza.”

But Netanyahu raised some serious eyebrows when he argued that the October 7 attack on Israel was “like 16 9/11s” for Israel: “Proportionately, this is equal to 40,000 innocent Americans slaughtered in 24 hours. That’s 16 times 9/11. 16 9/11s that occurred not very far from here.”

“That’s 16 times 9/11”

Netanyahu’s assertion was met with bafflement, even from conservatives. High-profile conservative activist Brandon Straka said on X that this was “objectively just a very stupid statement”, adding, “We don’t value life “proportionately”. 1,200 people killed is the same no matter where they are. Saying that “because we’re a smaller country, our worst tragedy is like your worst tragedy times SIXTEEN” is beyond ignorant and manipulative. For a country that desperately needs good PR- this ain’t it.”

Another noted that “Coming to New York and telling the world New York’s tragedy wasn’t that big a deal compared to ours” is not a great look. That’s especially the case given Netanyahu’s historic comments on 9/11. On the day of the attacks, Netanyahu said with “startling enthusiasm” (via The Atlantic) that they were “very good”. He then clarified that he meant they were “good” because they “strengthen the bond between our two peoples.”

In 2008, while speaking at Bar-Ilan University, Netanyahu said (via Haaretz) that “We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq,” arguing that in a way 9/11 was good for Israel because it “swung American public opinion in our favor.”

Netanyahu is objectively correct about this, as in the wake of 9/11 American support for Israel did increase, with Gallup reporting that support climbed from 41% supporting Israel in August 2001 to 55% by September 14. However, judging by the widespread criticism from those on the right and left, coming to New York in the same month as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and making this point doesn’t seem like a great PR move.