The language of Benjamin Netanyahu’s UN address was steeped in a chilling military finality. From his vow to “finish the job” in Gaza to his promise to “hunt you down,” his speech offered no off-ramps, no compromises, and no future beyond the battlefield.
The phrase “finish the job” implies a neat, achievable conclusion to a messy, intractable conflict. It suggests that one final, brutal push can solve a problem that has festered for decades. It is the language of a general, not a statesman.
The promise to “hunt down” Hamas leaders is even more stark. It is the language of retribution and targeted assassination, a policy that promises to eliminate individuals but does little to address the underlying conditions that fuel the conflict.
This focus on military finality is precisely what has alarmed the international community. The mass walkout was a protest against this very vision—a future where the only tools are military ones, and the only outcomes are victory or death, with no space for peace or reconciliation.