**Pro-Palestinian Protesters Arrested Outside UN During Netanyahu Speech**
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan on Thursday, coinciding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the General Assembly. The protests were organized as a planned act of civil disobedience, with demonstrators blocking an intersection several blocks away from the UN building.
According to reports from RT’s Caleb Maupin, who was present at the scene, the protesters aimed to draw attention to their cause during Netanyahu's speech. They held signs with messages such as “stop settler terror” and “stop arming Israel,” and chanted slogans including “Netanyahu you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” and “One, two, three, four, Gaza’s what we’re fighting for.”
The demonstration was characterized by its premeditated nature, with many participants anticipating their arrests as part of the protest strategy. Footage from the scene showed some protesters wearing shirts that read “fund people not bombs.” As the event unfolded, videos captured the moment when detained protesters were escorted into NYPD vans.
The protest reflects a growing sentiment among some segments of the American public regarding U.S. support for Israel. Recent opinion polls indicate a shift in attitudes, with a Pew Research Center survey published in July revealing that 62% of American adults held an unfavorable view of the Israeli government as of May 2026, a notable increase from 43% in 2022. Conversely, the percentage of those with a favorable view of Israel decreased by 15 percentage points during the same period.
The backdrop of the protest includes ongoing international scrutiny of Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Reports of increased settler violence have raised alarms, with senior UN official Ramiz Alakbarov stating that settler violence has reached unprecedented levels. He noted that as of August 10, there had been over 1,430 documented incidents of settler violence in the occupied West Bank this year, affecting approximately 260 Palestinian communities.
The situation in Gaza has also been dire, with the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reporting that more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire took effect in October 2025. This brings the total death toll in Gaza since October 2023 to nearly 74,000, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.
As tensions continue to rise, both in the streets of Manhattan and in the broader geopolitical landscape, the protests serve as a reminder of the deep divisions and passionate opinions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The events outside the UN on Thursday underscore the intersection of activism, international diplomacy, and public opinion in shaping the discourse on this enduring issue.