Netanyahu’s fiery UNGA speech sparks mass walkout: Which countries were absent?

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery UN speech Thursday assailing enemies and allies alike - and sparking uproar in the chamber.

Netanyahu faces a difficult reelection campaign at home and is locked in a tight race to stay in power in 27 October elections. In his UNGA speech, Netanyahu attacked everyone from the leaders of Iran to New York's first Muslim mayor Zohran Mamdani and partners Britain, France and Turkey.

Dozens of envoys from across the world walked out, some jeering and booing, while Netanyahu's own team stood and applauded, and the speaker of the session shouted for order. The walkout was lead by the Palestinian Mission to the UN.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

The mass walkout was sparked by Netanyahu's speech, where he criticized various countries and leaders, leading the Palestinian Mission to the UN to call on member states to leave the chamber in protest.

Reports indicated that representatives from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, and several others walked out during Netanyahu's speech, although no official list was provided.

Netanyahu called those who walked out 'moral cowards' as a reaction to the protests, challenging the delegates supporting the Palestinian cause and defending his stance against international criticism.

Netanyahu dismissed the allegations of genocide as 'the biggest lie of the century' and defended Israel's military actions in Gaza while asserting that the campaign aimed to protect Palestinian civilians.

This question largely depends on individual national policies and international relations dynamics, as Netanyahu's confrontational rhetoric may influence leaders' decisions concerning engagement with Israel.

"If there are any other moral cowards who haven't left this hall, please do so now," Netanyahu told those turning their backs on him during his speech.

Groups of delegates were seen leaving the room in support of Palestine as Israeli prime minister spoke. Other delegates clapped and chanted 'Am Yisrael Chai' or 'the people of Israel live' in support of the prime minister

Which countries walked out?

There is no official list of countries whose delegates walked out during Netanyahu's speech on Thursday. Multiple news outlets said that representatives from dozens of countries walked out.

One X handle 'Iran Military Media' which calls itself 'independent media' shared a list of over 75 flags of nations that walked out. LiveMint couldn't verify the list, however.

Videos shared my multiple sources showed 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.

Delegates from Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan also walked out, as per reports

Netanyahu lashes out at Mamdani

Netanyahu lashed out at New York's popular, leftist Mayor Zohran Mamdani as "antisemitic" and claimed that "since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe."

Mamdani had threatened to execute an ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu, before conceding he did not have the authority.

The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) said in 2024 it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes in the Gaza campaign, which responded to Hamas's deadly 7 October, 2023 attacks. Netanyahu denies the ICC claims.

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"Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians," Mamdani said in response.

"Yet no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity."

Dozens of protesters, some brandishing "stop the genocide" banners, gathered near the United Nations. At least 100 demonstrators were detained, including Hollywood star actor Susan Sarandon.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was unable to attend the UN gathering after the Trump administration refused him a visa.

Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians.

In a video message played ahead of Netanyahu's speech, Abbas said, "We reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based."

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author

Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.

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