Middle Eastern, Arab Nations Stage Mass Walkout During Netanyahu's UN Speech

On the 24th local time, a mass walkout by multiple delegations occurred as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium to deliver a speech at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

As Prime Minister Netanyahu was introduced on the third day of the high-level general debate of the 81st UN General Assembly, dozens of delegates from Middle Eastern and Arab nations—including Iran as a party to the conflict, as well as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, and Palestine—stood up and walked out in succession.

In UN meetings, a walkout is typically used as a strong diplomatic protest to express dissatisfaction and rejection.

While some countries have left the room during this UN General Assembly depending on their relations with the speaking country's leader, this is the first time such a mass exodus of dozens of people has occurred.

This is interpreted as a reflection of Israel's diplomatic isolation in the international community.

In contrast, the Israeli delegation, including UN Ambassador Danny Danon, stood up and applauded Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Chants of "The people of Israel live" in Hebrew could also be heard from the gallery.

As the chamber grew noisy, the president repeatedly called for order in the room.

Taking the podium, Prime Minister Netanyahu appeared unfazed by the commotion.

"Before I begin, let me say this briefly," Netanyahu retorted. "If there are any other 'moral cowards' who have not yet left this hall, I ask you to leave now."

While UN General Assembly speeches typically last around 15 minutes, Prime Minister Netanyahu continued his remarks with a confident demeanor for about 40 minutes that day.

He accused European leaders of succumbing to "antisemitic mobs" while taking sharp aim at Qatar and Türkiye for spreading false information regarding Israel.

Particularly targeting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, he raised his voice, saying, "Many Jews are no longer safe in New York," and "You cannot silence me, and you cannot silence the truth."

Claiming that Mayor Mamdani supports Hamas, he launched a fierce criticism: "Whether sitting in this hall or in the antisemitic Mayor's Office of New York, to all those who spread lies about my country and our soldiers, I have one thing to say: Shame on you."

Previously, Mayor Mamdani had labeled Prime Minister Netanyahu a "war criminal" and warned that he would mobilize the police to arrest him should he visit New York.

Immediately following Netanyahu's speech, Mayor Mamdani issued a statement responding, "As he always has, Netanyahu repeated baseless lies in this speech trying to whitewash the acts of genocide against Palestinians."

"No lie can change the fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu has an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity," he said.

As the speech continued, the Israeli delegation gave several standing ovations, and the U.S. delegation joined in the applause.

Outside the UN headquarters, hundreds of demonstrators gathered to condemn Israel.

They held protests shouting slogans such as "Stop military aid to Israel" and "Guarantee the survival of residents in Gaza and Iran."

During the process, some protesters were taken into police custody.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.