Netanyahu’s UNGA Speech Begins With Mass Walkout as Israeli PM Calls Them ‘Moral Cowards’

New York: An extraordinary scene unfolded at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday as dozens of country delegations walked out of the chamber just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rose to deliver his address, leaving large sections of the hall visibly empty.

The dramatic walkout came as Netanyahu faced intense international criticism over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and its broader regional actions. Reuters confirmed that delegates streamed out of the General Assembly hall when Netanyahu began speaking on Thursday, September 24.

An Anadolu Agency review of footage from the 81st UN General Assembly reported that representatives from nearly 70 countries either walked out or left their seats vacant as Netanyahu approached the podium. The exact figure varies because some delegations had already left or did not attend the address, while others left only some members of their delegation.

‘Moral cowards’: Netanyahu hits back

Rather than ignoring the walkout, Netanyahu confronted it almost immediately.

“If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” he said at the beginning of his speech, according to Reuters and CBS News.

The Israeli leader then launched into a forceful defence of his government’s actions, accusing Israel’s critics of hypocrisy and arguing that Israel was acting in self-defence.

Netanyahu claimed that some leaders whose representatives had left the chamber had privately thanked Israel for its military action against Iran. That was a claim made by Netanyahu during his speech and was not independently established by the reports reviewed.

Who walked out?

Footage reviewed by Anadolu showed representatives from numerous countries leaving the chamber. Among those reported as participating in the protest were Türkiye, Palestine, Tunisia, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Lebanon, Malaysia, Indonesia and Kuwait.

Other delegations were also reported to have left or had visibly empty seats.

However, the figure should be reported carefully. Reuters described the event as a walkout by “dozens” of delegates, while Anadolu reported representatives from nearly 70 countries. Therefore, describing it simply as “70 countries walked out” can be misleading because the available counts include both actual departures and delegations whose seats were already vacant.

Not everyone left

The chamber was not completely emptied.

Representatives of the United States, Germany and several European countries remained in the hall. Anadolu reported that delegations from a number of countries stayed while others streamed out.

The contrast was striking: while large numbers of diplomats were leaving, some representatives who remained applauded Netanyahu. Supporters in the gallery also chanted “Am Yisrael Chai” — “The people of Israel live.”

Netanyahu turns to Iran, Gaza and Hezbollah

After confronting the departing diplomats, Netanyahu used his address to defend Israel’s military campaigns and to attack what he described as international hypocrisy toward Israel.

He spoke extensively about Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, Israel’s military confrontation with Tehran and the threat posed by Iran and its regional allies.

He also recalled Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. During the speech, Netanyahu dramatically held up a pager, referring to the 2024 pager explosions targeting Hezbollah members. He also praised US President Donald Trump for joining Israel in confronting Iran earlier in 2026.

Netanyahu strongly rejected allegations concerning Israel’s conduct in Gaza and portrayed Israel’s military campaign as a fight for its survival.

A nearly empty chamber becomes the defining image

The walkout quickly became one of the most striking visual moments of this year’s UN General Assembly.

Images from Reuters showed rows of empty seats as Netanyahu addressed the chamber. Reuters described the departure of dozens of delegates as a visible sign of the sharp international divisions surrounding Israel’s actions.

The episode also came amid mounting international criticism of Israel over the Gaza war and its policies in the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu’s speech therefore became as much a diplomatic confrontation as a traditional UN address.

The 81st UN General Assembly general debate began on September 22, with the high-level meetings continuing through the week. The UN’s official calendar confirms that September 24, 2026, was Thursday, while September 25 was Friday.

Thursday, not Friday

For publication purposes, the correct event date is:

Netanyahu delivered his UN General Assembly speech and the mass delegation walkout occurred on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

Reports appearing on Friday, September 25 were largely follow-up stories published the next day. Reuters’ original report and contemporaneous footage identify the event as occurring on Thursday.