80 Nations Absent During Netanyahu's UN Speech, Israel Claims 'Political Stunt'

An initial analysis by Israel's UN delegation indicates that 80 countries were not present in the General Assembly hall during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Thursday, an increase from the 77 countries absent last year. However, some delegates reportedly returned during the address. A total of 115 member states and two observer states, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China, remained in the hall. Among Arab nations, only the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were present, while countries like Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil, and South Africa were among those absent. Spain was the sole European nation to leave.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, described the mass departure as a "planned political show designed to create a false image." He alleged that "enemies of Israel" deliberately seated representatives from countries such as Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia specifically to stage a walkout for cameras, asserting that more delegations remained than during other leaders' speeches. Danon characterized the event as a "transparent and embarrassing public relations campaign."

According to the Israeli analysis, the Palestinian delegation had pre-arranged for its representatives to sit together to facilitate a coordinated and photographed exit at the start of Netanyahu's speech, which Israel claims supports the assertion that the walkout was staged. The Israeli delegation also noted that Iran-affiliated accounts spread a false claim on social media, using an old video of a former Israeli ambassador being escorted out, to suggest the current ambassador was removed during Netanyahu's speech.

Separately, a video circulated widely showing Danon offering an Iranian representative a Starlink satellite router, which the diplomat ignored. Danon stated the device could help the Iranian people gain freedom, referencing Netanyahu's earlier display of a similar device in his speech. This video garnered approximately eight million views, with about 40% of viewers reportedly in Iran.