Dozens of Nations Absent or Walk Out During Netanyahu's UN Speech

Israel's UN mission reported that 78 countries were either absent or left the General Assembly hall during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Thursday. This marks an increase from the 70 countries that did not attend or departed during his address last year. However, some delegates who initially left returned to the hall later in the speech. Out of the 193 member states and two observer states, 117 delegations were present, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China. Among Arab nations, only representatives from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain remained. The list of absent or departing nations included most Arab countries, Muslim-majority nations like Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan, as well as Brazil, South Africa, and Spain, which was the sole European country to leave.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, characterized the mass walkout as a "transparent and embarrassing PR campaign" and a "planned political show designed to create a false image." He suggested that countries such as Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia intentionally sent representatives only to stage a walkout for the cameras. The Israeli analysis also indicated that the Palestinian delegation coordinated for six of its representatives to leave together, aiming for a prominent and documented exit.

Separately, a video of Ambassador Danon approaching the Iranian delegation's representative, who ignored him, and offering a Starlink satellite communication device gained significant traction online, reportedly reaching eight million views. Danon stated the device "could be useful to allow the Iranian people to gain their freedom." Instagram data indicated that approximately 40% of the viewers were located within Iran, representing the highest exposure rate from any single country.