Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly drew global headlines—not for its content, but for the mass walkout that preceded it. On Saturday, Israel published its own count of which countries’ seats were left empty during the 41-minute address.
According to the Israeli regime website, 77 delegations were either absent from the hall altogether or left at the start of Netanyahu’s remarks. Among them were all four of Israel’s immediate neighbors—Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria—as well as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran.
Officials noted, however, that not all absences were boycotts. In some cases, representatives simply did not attend the morning session in New York, where Netanyahu was the first scheduled speaker.
Jordan and Egypt, for instance, did not take their seats, but did not join the staged protest. Pakistan’s delegation walked out in protest but then stood at the sidelines to listen to the speech.
The 77 countries listed as absent or walking out included Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Ireland, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and several from Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific.
MNA/
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