Netanyahu's UN Speech Sees Dozens of Delegations Walk Out

Dozens of foreign delegations demonstratively walked out of the UN General Assembly during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech, revealing significant divisions among European and Arab nations. According to an initial analysis by the Israeli mission, representatives from 78 countries were absent during the address, while 117 delegations remained. Among those who stayed were representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, India, Japan, Canada, Australia, Russia, and China. Some diplomats who left early later returned.

A notable split was observed among Arab states, with only the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain remaining in the hall. Representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco were absent. Other countries whose representatives reportedly left included Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, and South Africa.

Israel noted that Spain was the only European country whose representatives joined the walkout. Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, described the event as a pre-organized political stunt, suggesting that some representatives intentionally remained until Netanyahu began speaking to stage a mass boycott for cameras. The Israeli delegation also claimed the Palestinian side had asked other countries to seat their representatives near the delegation's table to facilitate a coordinated walkout.

Compared to the previous year, when 70 countries reportedly walked out, this year saw 78 delegations absent. Following the speech, an incident occurred when Danon approached Iran's representative to offer a Starlink device, but the Iranian diplomat refused it and ignored him. A video of this encounter gained significant traction on social media, reportedly garnering around eight million views, with a substantial portion of the Instagram audience being from Iran.

The Israeli delegation also addressed a false report circulating on social media, claiming the Israeli ambassador was removed from the hall after a confrontation with an Iranian representative. This claim was supported by an unrelated video from 2023 featuring the former Israeli ambassador, Gilad Erdan.