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77 delegations leave UN hall before Netanyahu speech, drawing widespread reaction

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and U.S. Secret Service (USSS) personnel maintain a heavy security presence around the United Nations Headquarters as New York hosts nearly 200 heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, civil society representatives and journalists attending the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in New York, United States, on September 23, 2026. [Mehmet Ali Özcan – Anadolu Agency]

The mass departure of 77 delegations from the UN General Assembly hall shortly before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech sparked widespread reaction on social media, with users describing the scene as a major blow to Israel and a sign of its growing international isolation.

Footage showed most delegations leaving the hall before Netanyahu began speaking, while the prime minister appeared visibly uncomfortable as only a limited number of people remained and protesters chanted slogans.

According to Israeli reports, representatives of 77 countries were absent during Netanyahu’s speech, with several delegations leaving shortly before it began, while representatives of other countries had not been in their seats from the outset.

The departure drew significant attention in the Israeli media. Channel 14 described it as “a spit in Israel’s face”, while Yedioth Ahronoth called it “the dramatic protest”.

Haaretz, meanwhile, described Netanyahu’s speech as repetitive and dull, saying it was mainly aimed at his right-wing base and US President Donald Trump, amid what it described as growing international isolation for the Israeli prime minister.

The Guardian reported that Netanyahu pledged to “finish the job” in Gaza while delegations left the hall in protest.

The Washington Post described the walkout as part of a “fierce global backlash” against Israeli policies, while Britain’s Independent said Netanyahu was speaking to a single audience anyway.

At the same time as Netanyahu was speaking at the UN headquarters, a protest was held near Times Square in New York, where demonstrators raised slogans calling for an end to Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

The scene came amid the continuing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in large numbers of civilian casualties, as international criticism of Israel’s policies towards Gaza and the Palestinian territories continues to grow.

READ: US does not want to see ‘additional flashpoint’ in West Bank, Rubio says

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

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