On Thursday, during the opening of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, a widespread act of diplomatic protest unfolded moments after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped to the podium: delegates from dozens of nations exited the assembly hall en masse, marking the second consecutive year that global representatives have staged a collective walkout during his address to the UN body.
While most delegations exited in protest, a small cohort of representatives, largely from Western nations, remained seated throughout the speech. During his remarks, Netanyahu launched sharp verbal attacks on a broad range of critics, including international media outlets, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and left-wing commentator Hasan Piker. He also issued a forceful denial of international accusations that Israel is carrying out genocide in the Gaza Strip.
One notable presence that quickly drew global social media attention was the delegation of the United Arab Emirates, which chose to remain in the chamber for the full duration of Netanyahu’s speech. The decision split public opinion online immediately: while most global commentators condemned the UAE’s choice to stay, pro-government Emirati social media influencers framed the move as a courageous act of diplomatic statesmanship that advanced peace efforts.
Prominent Emirati pro-Abu Dhabi activist Ahmed Khalifa posted on X alongside a photograph that showed the empty seats surrounding the UAE delegation, writing, “THE UAE IS IN THE HALL. We show up. We don’t run😎.” He later expanded on his stance, arguing that walking out was an immature act of avoidance, writing, “It’s not our problem if you run! Be Brave. Face it. Listen. Argue point for point. Fleeing is childish. It only proves you’re incapable! 😉” Another Emirati commentator, Rauda Altenaiji, echoed this framing, writing, “We stay and we listen. That’s how bridges are built. We don’t do it teenager-esque style. We Dubai It, even in politics 🇦🇪🇦🇪.”
The Emirati posts were met with immediate waves of anger and ridicule from social media users across the globe, who widely interpreted the UAE’s decision to remain as a public endorsement of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. One user replied directly to Khalifa’s post, writing, “You showed up for Netanyahu. You ran from every child bleeding in Gaza.” Other critics drew attention to the UAE’s widely documented involvement in Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict, where Abu Dhabi backs the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that has been accused of widespread human rights atrocities including mass civilian massacres, systematic sexual violence, and systematic torture. “Why would you run? You’re doing the exact same thing in Sudan that Israel is doing in Gaza,” one critic wrote. While the UAE has repeatedly denied providing weapons or military support to the RSF, multiple independent investigations have confirmed its ongoing backing for the paramilitary group.
Critics also turned Netanyahu’s own rhetoric against the UAE: during his opening remarks, Netanyahu called any delegations that planned to walk out “moral cowards” before he began his speech. Critics flipped this label to condemn the UAE, with one user writing, “Netanyahu: ‘Before I even start, any MORAL disgusting COWARDS still sitting in this hall can get up and leave now.’ The UAE stayed. They are the most disgusting cowards.”
Another notable absence from the chamber during the speech was Iran’s delegation. Rather than leaving empty seats, Iranian representatives placed a portrait of Qassem Soleimani, the slain former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force who was killed in a 2020 US drone strike, at their empty seats. “The Iranian delegation is not present for Netanyahu’s speech. Instead they’ve left a picture of Qasem Soleimani,” one X user posted alongside a photo of the display.
The diplomatic walkout came alongside large-scale grassroots protests across New York City coinciding with Netanyahu’s visit. Earlier the same day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a pre-recorded address to world leaders after the United States denied him a visa to enter the country to attend the General Assembly in person – marking the second year in a row the US has barred Abbas from attending the gathering in person. Several hundred demonstrators gathered near UN headquarters to protest Netanyahu’s visit, chanting slogans including “Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live.” According to the New York Police Department, around 100 protesters were arrested, including well-known actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder.