Netanyahu’s fiery UN General Assembly speech sparks mass exodus: Which countries were missing? | Today’s news
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery speech at the United Nations on Thursday in which he attacked both enemies and allies – and caused an uproar in the meeting room.
Netanyahu faces a difficult re-election campaign at home and is locked in a tight race to hold on to power in the Oct. 27 election. In his UN General Assembly address, Netanyahu attacked everyone from Iran’s leaders to New York’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and partners Britain, France and Turkey.
Dozens of envoys from around the world walked out, some jeered and booed, while Netanyahu’s own team stood and applauded and the session’s speaker shouted for order. The break was led by the Palestinian Mission to the United Nations.
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The mass walkout was sparked by Netanyahu’s speech criticizing various countries and leaders, leading the Palestinian mission to the United Nations to call on member states to walk out of the hall in protest.
Reports indicated that representatives of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and several others walked out during Netanyahu’s speech, although no official list was provided.
In response to the protests, Netanyahu called those who walked out “moral cowards”, calling out delegates supporting the Palestinian cause and defending his stance against international criticism.
Rejecting allegations of genocide as the “biggest lie of the century,” Netanyahu defended Israel’s military actions in Gaza, saying the campaign was aimed at protecting Palestinian civilians.
The issue depends largely on individual national policies and the dynamics of international relations, as Netanyahu’s confrontational rhetoric may influence leaders’ decisions about engagement in Israel.
“If there are any other moral cowards who have not left this hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu told those who turned their backs on him during his speech.
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As the Israeli prime minister spoke, groups of delegates were seen leaving the room in support of Palestine. Other delegates clapped and chanted “Am Yisrael Chai” or “People of Israel live” in support of the prime minister
Which countries left?
There is no official list of countries whose delegates walked out during Netanyahu’s speech on Thursday. Several reports said representatives from dozens of countries had left.
One brand X “Iran Military Media” which calls itself “independent media” shared a list of more than 75 flags of nations that have left. However, LiveMint could not verify the listing.
Videos shared by multiple sources showed that Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Algeria, Iran, Malaysia, Montenegro and Kyrgyzstan were among the nations whose seats were empty during Netanyahu’s speech. Jordan, Libya, the Marshall Islands and Mauritius also had empty seats.
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According to reports, delegates from Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan also left.
Netanyahu lashes out at Mamdani
Netanyahu blasted New York City’s popular left-wing mayor Zohran Mamdani as “anti-Semitic” and claimed that “since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe.”
Mamdani threatened to execute the ICC’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu before admitting he did not have the authority.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) said in 2024 that it had reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes in the Gaza campaign, which was in response to the deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu denies the ICC’s claims.
A cutout depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is held up as pro-Palestinian protesters protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 24, 2026. REUTERS/Bing Guan(REUTERS)
“Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies to sanitize his genocide of the Palestinians,” Mamdani said in response.
“However, no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Dozens of protesters gathered near the United Nations, some of them brandishing “stop the genocide” banners. At least 100 protesters were detained, including Hollywood star actress Susan Sarandon.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to attend the UN General Assembly after the Trump administration refused to grant him a visa.
Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies to sanitize his genocide of the Palestinians.
In a video message played before Netanyahu’s speech, Abbas said: “We reject these illegal repressive measures and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based.”
(With input from agencies)
