Indonesia Among Global Envoys Walking Out on Netanyahu UN Speech - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian diplomats were among dozens of international envoys walking out of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to deliver his national statement.
Visual footage provided by the Indonesian Permanent Mission in New York showed diplomats rushing from their seats as Netanyahu was called to the podium.
The protesting diplomats jeered and booed, prompting the presiding officer to repeatedly strike the gavel to restore order, according to New Straits Times.
The coordinated demonstration followed a memorandum issued by the Palestinian delegation calling on member states to leave the hall.
As envoys exited the hall, Netanyahu addressed the remaining assembly with open defiance. "If there are any other moral cowards who haven't left this hall, please do so now," Netanyahu remarked as his own delegation applauded, as broadcast by UN Web TV.
Netanyahu spent a brief six hours in the United States for the gathering and did not hold meetings with US President Donald Trump or Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a Jerusalem Post report cited by Antara.
His appearance comes at a time of deep international backlash over Israel's ongoing military campaigns in Gaza and the West Bank, alongside ceasefire violations in Lebanon and joint US-Israeli air strikes on Iran launched in February.
Netanyahu also remains subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2024 for alleged war crimes.
Undeterred by the walkout, Netanyahu used his speech to defend Israel’s military stance across the region. "We're going to win. We have no other choice," he declared, as reported by BBC.
He launched verbal attacks against his global critics, rejecting genocide allegations and taking aim at European leaders. "They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism—some colonialism. And who's accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God's sake, they invented the term," Netanyahu said.
He further labeled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "tyrant" for supporting Hamas, and criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over local security concerns for Jewish residents, BBC noted.
Conversely, Netanyahu praised US President Donald Trump for his "bold leadership," referencing their joint military operations targeting Tehran. "Israel and America acted together not only to protect ourselves, but to save civilization," he said.
Hours prior to Netanyahu’s speech, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a recorded address to the assembly, having been denied a US entry visa, BBC reported.
Abbas warned that Israeli policy and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank threaten "the very life and existence of the Palestinian people on their homeland" and destroy prospects for a two-state solution. He urged the UN to confront what he characterized as a campaign of "killing, destruction, starvation, and attempts at displacement."
Analysts note that much of Netanyahu's combative posture at the UN podium was for political audiences back home. Israel faces a critical national election next month, where Netanyahu’s religious-right coalition currently trails in public opinion polls, according to BBC.
With his long-held reputation as "Mr. Security" under intense domestic scrutiny following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, his stance at the UN serves as campaign material to demonstrate his willingness to confront international pressure.
The protest reflects growing international opposition to Israel's military campaigns across the Middle East. According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 73,920 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its attacks following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
While Israel consistently maintains its operations are justified self-defense, a panel from the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and a UN commission of inquiry have both determined that Israel's actions meet the legal criteria for genocide.
Outside the UN headquarters, New York City police detained several high-profile figures blocking an intersection to protest Netanyahu's presence, including Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, actress Hannah Einbinder, Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, and New York City Council Member Chi Osse.
