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Netanyahu accuses UK and France of inventing colonialism term

Israeli Prime Minister also decried a UK trade ban on West Bank settlements during UN address.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
The Israeli leader has faced growing diplomatic isolation over the Gaza conflict (Seth Wenig/AP) (AP)

What this story says

  • Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly that Britain and France invented the term 'colonialism'.
  • The UK announced a trade ban on illegal West Bank settlements, which Netanyahu referenced.
  • Dozens of delegates walked out of the UN General Assembly during Netanyahu's speech.
  • Netanyahu is facing a re-election battle and is trailing in the polls.

Who covered it

Left 26%(5)Centre 37%(7)Right 37%(7)

Percentages are shares of the 19 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 16 of the 35 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

68/100

Craft

87/100

Hype

15/100

35 sources · methodology

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, accusing Britain and France of inventing the term 'colonialism'. He made these remarks in the context of criticism against Israel's settlement policy. The United Kingdom had recently announced a trade ban on illegal West Bank settlements, a move that sparked a diplomatic dispute with Israel. During his speech, dozens of delegates walked out of the assembly hall in protest. Netanyahu is currently engaged in a re-election campaign and is reportedly trailing in opinion polls.

Disagreement on Netanyahu's remarks about colonialism

The Independent reported that Netanyahu stated Britain had 'invented the term' colonialism, adding that its empire 'once spanned the globe'. Le Monde and Franceinfo.fr reported Netanyahu asking, 'What colonialism?' and stating that 'they invented the term'. EADaily reported that Netanyahu 'gave out his version of Nikita Khrushchev from the UN rostrum'. News-pravda.com reported Netanyahu saying, 'For God's sakes, they invented the term, their colonies braced the entire globe. Colonialism? Give us a...'

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated digests mention the specific number of delegates who walked out of the UN General Assembly during Benjamin Netanyahu's speech. The centre-rated digests do not mention Netanyahu's statement that he is facing a re-election battle and is trailing in the polls. None of the right-rated digests mention that Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a re-election battle and is trailing in the polls.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 25 Sept 2026, 06:30, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

5 rated outlets

  • The left-rated reports focused on Benjamin Netanyahu's accusation that Britain and France invented the term 'colonialism'. The Independent, which provided a full report, also highlighted Netanyahu's comments on the UK's trade ban on West Bank settlements and his description of delegates who walked out as 'moral cowards'. Perspectivemedia.com and The Independent also mentioned the UK's trade ban on illegal West Bank settlements. Le Monde and Franceinfo.fr quoted Netanyahu's questioning of 'What colonialism?' and his assertion that Britain and France invented the term.

Centre

7 rated outlets

  • The centre-rated reports highlighted Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks about colonialism and the walkout by delegates. Le Devoir and Sud Ouest quoted Netanyahu asking, 'What colonialism?' and stating that France and Britain invented the term. Evening Standard, Le Devoir, and leprogres.fr mentioned the UK's trade ban on illegal West Bank settlements. France24 and La Libre reported that Netanyahu attacked Israel's detractors and referenced former colonising countries. Several centre-rated reports, including ledauphine.com, leprogres.fr, bienpublic.com, estrepublicain.fr, lalsace.fr, lejsl.com, and republicain-lorrain.fr, noted that many delegates left the room when Netanyahu spoke.

Right

7 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports focused on Benjamin Netanyahu's criticism of Britain and France regarding colonialism. The Telegraph stated that Netanyahu attacked Britain for its colonial history. GB News reported that Netanyahu 'rages at 'colonial' Britain amid Israel's Falkland Islands threats'. News-pravda.com quoted Netanyahu saying, 'They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism. And who's accusing us? Among them, people in Britain and in France. For God's sakes, they invented the term'. EADaily reported that Netanyahu 'gave out his version of Nikita Khrushchev from the UN rostrum'.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Netanyahu accuses UK and France of inventing colonialism term?
Of the 19 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 26% are rated left, 37% are rated centre, 37% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 35. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Netanyahu accuses UK and France of inventing colonialism term left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 19 rated outlets on this story, 26% are rated left, 37% are rated centre, 37% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Netanyahu accuses UK and France of inventing colonialism term biased?
Netanyahu accuses UK and France of inventing colonialism term is one event reported by 35 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Netanyahu accuses UK and France of inventing colonialism term?
35 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What did Benjamin Netanyahu say about colonialism?
Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly that Britain and France invented the term 'colonialism'. He stated that their colonies 'embraced the entire globe' and suggested that these countries should not be accusing Israel of colonialism.
What action did the UK take regarding West Bank settlements?
The United Kingdom announced a trade ban on illegal West Bank settlements. This action sparked a diplomatic dispute with Israel, which Benjamin Netanyahu referenced during his speech at the UN General Assembly.
How did delegates react to Netanyahu's speech?
Dozens of delegates walked out of the UN General Assembly hall during Benjamin Netanyahu's speech. Netanyahu responded by calling those who left 'moral cowards'.
What is Netanyahu's current political situation?
Benjamin Netanyahu is currently engaged in a re-election battle in Israel. Reports indicate that he is trailing in opinion polls, which may influence his public statements and diplomatic stances.

Read it at the source

35 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

5

Centre

7

Right

7

Not rated

16
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How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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