New York – Dozens of United Nations delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium to deliver his address at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, prompting the Israeli leader to denounce the departing envoys as “moral cowards.”
The walkout began as Netanyahu approached the rostrum and continued as he started speaking. Video footage and eyewitness accounts showed large numbers of delegates leaving their seats, with some jeering or booing.
Supporters remaining in the hall, including members of the Israeli delegation, stood and applauded, while some chanted the Hebrew phrase “Am Yisrael Chai” (“The people of Israel live”). General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman repeatedly called for order in the chamber.
Netanyahu directly addressed the protest in his opening remarks. “Before I begin, just a quick announcement: if there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” he said. He later accused the departing delegates of hypocrisy, claiming that leaders of some of the countries whose representatives walked out had privately thanked Israel for actions against Iran’s nuclear programme. “In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,” Netanyahu stated.
The Palestinian Mission to the United Nations had encouraged member states to stage a collective walkout during Netanyahu’s speech. Photos from the session showed empty seats associated with delegations from countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Algeria, Malaysia, Montenegro and Kyrgyzstan, among others. No comprehensive official list of participating countries has been released, though multiple outlets confirmed that dozens of envoys left.
In his roughly 40-minute address, Netanyahu rejected accusations that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, calling such claims “the biggest lie of the century” and asserting that “Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide.” He defended Israeli military operations against Iran, describing the decision to target Iranian nuclear facilities as “one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” and criticised Western European leaders, Qatar, Turkey, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The speech took place against a backdrop of heightened tensions over the ongoing Gaza conflict and regional dynamics. Outside UN headquarters, several hundred protesters gathered, chanting slogans such as “Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live.” Police detained a number of demonstrators.
Netanyahu’s appearance came as he campaigns for re-election in Israel ahead of an October 27 vote. The walkout underscored deep international divisions over Israel’s policies and the broader Middle East conflict, continuing a pattern of protests and diplomatic friction at this year’s high-level UN debate.
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