By Jessica Corbett – Common Dreams
A large number of diplomats and other officials walked out of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Friday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to defend his nation’s slaughter of more than 41,000 people in the Gaza Strip during the past year and over 700 in Lebanon this week.
Journalists and critics of the “global pariah” shared photos and videos of people filing out of the hall before Netanyahu’s address—which came just a day after 25 anti-genocide protesters were arrested for blocking his motorcade in Manhattan.
While there was some audience applause from the sparsely populated room on Friday, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Rami Ayari explained that “the people you hear cheering the PM during the speech are in the gallery who he brought for that purpose.”
Council on American-Islamic Relations national executive director Nihad Awad said in a statement that “as the far-right, openly racist Israeli government continues its genocide in Gaza and expands its campaign of state terrorism to civilians in Lebanon, this mass walkout during war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu’s U.N. speech demonstrates the international community’s rejection of genocide.”
Awad added that U.S. President Joe Biden “should take note of our government’s growing isolation on the international stage, change his policy, and support human rights and international law, without an exception for the Palestinian people.”
Since Israeli forces launched their assault on Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led October 7 attack, the United States government has stood by Israel, sending billions of dollars in weapons and opposing U.N. resolutions, while claiming to be pushing for a cease-fire. Addressing the General Assembly earlier this week, Biden called for “security for Israel, and Gaza free of Hamas’ grip.”
In response to diplomats’ Friday walkout, Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said that “the impunity Biden has offered Israel has been used by Netanyahu to make Israel an international pariah. Neither good for the U.S. nor for Israel.”
Parsi also highlighted a clip of Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob’s speech to the U.N., in which he urged Netanyahu to “stop this war now!”
Netanyahu began his Friday address by taking aim at the world leaders who throughtout the week have condemned the recent escalation against Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as the past year of Israeli forces bombing and starving Palestinians in Gaza.
“I didn’t intend to come here this year. My country is at war fighting for its life,” Netanyahu said. “But, after I heard the lies and slanders leveled at my country by many of the speakers standing at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight.”
Armed with more of his infamous maps of the Middle East, the right-wing leader went on to claim that “Israel seeks peace,” while also pledging to wage war on Hamas-governed Gaza until “total victory” and telling “the tyrants of Tehran” that “if you strike us, we will strike you.”
Noting that Netanyahu also spoke of “savage enemies who seek to destroy our common civilization,” James Zogby, co-founder and president of the Arab American Institute, said: “Words spoken by the man who has been charged with genocide and crimes against humanity. This is a disgrace. Abusing the General Assembly platform to lie and incite.”
Israel faces a South Africa-led genocide case at the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court prosecutor has sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders—one of whom Israel recently assassinated in Iran. Israel also claims to have killed a second Hamas leader, which the group has denied.