Bangladesh Among 77 Countries to Walk Out as Netanyahu Takes the Stage at UN

Darwin, September 25: Representatives from Bangladesh and 76 other countries walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stage to deliver his address at the 81st session. According to figures released by Israeli officials, delegations from 77 countries were either absent from the hall or left as Netanyahu began his speech. The incident is being viewed as a major diplomatic protest against Israel.

As Netanyahu took the stage at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday (September 24), coordinated protests and walkouts began inside the assembly hall. After numerous representatives left, most of the seats in the hall were left empty. Boos were also heard during Netanyahu’s address. The president of the UN General Assembly was seen calling for order several times.

In addition to Bangladesh, the list included Palestine, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia, Yemen, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal, Brazil, Chile, Spain and Slovenia, among other countries from different regions.

Countries that did not walk out included the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, Australia, Canada, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Netanyahu took a swipe at those who walked out at the very beginning of his speech. He said, “If there are still morally cowardly people in this hall, please leave now.” He then claimed that many leaders from the countries that walked out had personally thanked Israel for its military operations.

Netanyahu’s speech came at a time when international criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continues. During his address, he pledged to continue military operations against Hamas in Gaza, saying that Israel would continue its campaign “until the job is done.”

The walkout list included countries from the Middle East as well as Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Pacific region. Israeli officials clarified that not all 77 countries on the list had necessarily walked out as a form of protest. Jordan and Egypt did not take their seats but did not join the walkout either. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s delegation left the hall in protest but later stood to the side to listen to the speech.

Protests were also held near Times Square in New York while Netanyahu was delivering his address. Demonstrators chanted slogans calling for an end to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

The walkout also triggered widespread reactions in the Israeli media. Several Israeli news outlets described the incident as an unprecedented or dramatic diplomatic protest against Israel. Channel 14 referred to it as “a spit in Israel’s face.”

Sources: Ynet, Middle East Monitor and The Palestine Chronicle