UNGA: World Walks Out as Netanyahu Faces “Murderer” Chants Amid Genocide Accusations

UNGA: World Walks Out as Netanyahu Faces “Murderer” Chants Amid Genocide Accusations

By TheNATIONWEEK.com News Desk | September 28, 2026

NEW YORK, NY – The global stage at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) became a powerful arena of dissent on Thursday, September 24, 2026, as Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu began his address. In an unprecedented display of international condemnation, “dozens of diplomatic delegations staged a mass walkout,” leaving a largely empty hall as thousands of protesters outside branded the Israeli Prime Minister a “murderer” and denounced his government’s actions as “genocide” against Palestinians.

The dramatic exodus unfolded as Netanyahu took the podium, met with a chorus of boos and jeers from within the chamber, juxtaposed with applause from a dwindling few. Reports indicate that representatives from at least “77 nations either abandoned their seats or exited the hall” shortly after Netanyahu commenced his remarks, a stark repudiation of his presence and policies.

This global snub comes amidst escalating international criticism over Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza, widely described as genocidal, alongside continued violence in the occupied West Bank and persistent attacks by illegal Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities.

A Divided Assembly: Who Stayed, Who Left?

Footage from the UNGA chamber clearly depicted representatives streaming towards the exits. TheNATIONWEEK.com noted that a significant majority of seats were empty during Netanyahu’s speech.

Among the “24 identified countries whose representatives remained” were Israel itself, alongside its principal Western allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, and Australia. Also present were the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, nations that normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, as well as Italy, Ethiopia, Finland, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Serbia, Morocco, Japan, Ukraine, Argentina, Paraguay, India, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.

However, the diplomatic protest was widespread, encompassing nations from the Arab world, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Countries explicitly identified as participating in the walkout or having empty seats included “Palestine, Türkiye, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela, Spain, and Slovenia.” The broader count of 77 nations extended across various regions, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the diplomatic boycott.

Netanyahu’s Defiance and Accusations

Netanyahu, visibly agitated by the mass departure, lashed out at the departing delegates, labeling them “moral cowards.” He asserted that Israel, in its actions, was “defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,” claiming private gratitude from some of the leaders whose diplomats had walked out for Israel’s stance against Iran.

He further challenged accusations of colonialism directed at Israel, arguing that some of the accusers had themselves been colonial powers. Netanyahu defended Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, portraying some of their violent actions as “self-defense,” and vehemently rejected charges of genocide in Gaza as the “biggest lie of the century.”

In a notable segment of his address, Netanyahu lauded US President Donald Trump as Israel’s “greatest partner” and attacked international media coverage, calling the information sphere “another front in Israel’s wars.” He also singled out New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of antisemitism and claiming that Jewish New Yorkers no longer felt safe following his election.

The dramatic scene at the UNGA served as a stark reflection of the deepening global divide over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a powerful demonstration of international disapproval of Netanyahu’s policies.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in the displacement of millions of Palestinians seeking asylum. Furthermore, there have been documented reports of deaths among the population in the West Bank and Gaza due to hunger, sexual abuse, and violence attributed to Israeli forces.