Delegations Walk Out During Israeli President's Speech at Asian Summit

Despite the boycott by these nations, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, remained in the hall and listened to Herzog's speech. Representatives from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and several Central Asian countries also stayed in the room. Iranian media later claimed that the Qatari Emir had left the hall, a narrative that analysts suggest was an attempt by Iran to portray Qatar as taking a strong anti-Israel stance, though attendees confirmed the Emir remained seated.

Herzog traveled to Baku on Wednesday on a commercial Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which transited Turkish airspace. This route bypassed a Turkish ban on Israeli government aircraft using its airspace, which has been in place since 2024. According to reports, Azerbaijan did not notify Ankara in advance about the Israeli president's presence on the civilian flight.

During his day-and-a-half visit, Herzog held bilateral meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani to discuss strategic cooperation. Herzog also visited the Israeli embassy in Baku to observe the opening of polling stations for early voting in the 26th Knesset elections, emphasizing the resilience of Israeli democracy.