Sep 26, 2025 - World

Netanyahu faces mass walk-out protest at UN speech

Man on stage with empty seats — Netanyahu addresses a mostly empty hall. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The vast majority of officials and diplomats in the UN General Assembly Hall appeared to walk out as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stage for his address on Friday.

Why it matters: Israel is deeply isolated internationally as it presses on with the war in Gaza. Outside of President Trump, Netanyahu — who faces war crime charges from the ICC — has very few allies on the global stage.

Driving the news: Netanyahu said in his speech that Israel "will finish the job" in Gaza, and will do so as quickly as possible

Ahead of the speech, he ordered Israel's military to position loudspeakers around the Gaza Strip to broadcast his words to the Palestinians in Gaza.
He also said Israeli intelligence had taken over the phones of people across Gaza to livestream the speech.
Netanyahu called on Hamas leaders to surrender, lay down their weapons and release the hostages.

Zoom in: Nearly all representatives from Arab and Muslim countries appeared to walk out, along with counterparts from several African countries and a few European countries.

State of play: The Trump administration denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to address the UN, but the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to allow him to speak remotely.

He insisted in his speech on Thursday that Palestinians would never leave Gaza despite all they had suffered.
UN week began with 10 countries, including France, the U.K. and Canada, recognizing a Palestinian state.

Go deeper: Trump says he won't let Netanyahu annex the West Bank

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Netanyahu faces mass walk-out protest at UN speech

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