US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has criticised diplomats who walked out of the UN General Assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium to deliver his address. Dozens of foreign diplomats vacated their seats and exited the assembly hall as Netanyahu approached the speaker’s stand, reports AP with inputs from Al Jazeera.
In a post on social platform X, Waltz wrote, “Terrible to see all these ambassadors to the UN walk out on Israel”. Comparing the incident to the session on the previous day, he added, “Not nearly as many walked out on Iran yesterday – even after they machine gunned 40,000 of their own people.”
Waltz has previously pushed to shield Israel from international scrutiny, advocated for unconditional weapon deliveries, and dismissed human rights oversight as measures intended to undermine a US ally.
Protest in New York
Meanwhile in New York, multiple protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took place as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), resulting in the arrest of more than 100 people as demonstrators demanded accountability over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and an end to United States military support.
Demonstrators blocked streets and marched towards UN headquarters whilst Netanyahu addressed world leaders inside the assembly. Jose, a protest attendee who provided only his first name, described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and stated that his presence was a total disrespect to the city.
Earlier on Thursday, an action near the UN organised by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and the NYC-Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA) drew more than 400 people, including celebrities, organisers, and politicians.
The sit-in blocked part of First Avenue ahead of the Israeli prime minister’s address. Nas Issa, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement and activist at the JVP demonstration, stated that Trump and Netanyahu were using the UNGA as a bully pulpit to espouse a vision of the world ruled by brute force and war crimes with impunity.
The demonstrations also sought to highlight New York’s direct role in US support for Israel. A day prior to the address, NYC-DSA held a news conference at John F Kennedy International Airport, demanding an immediate halt to military and explosive cargo shipments through the facility and calling for greater transparency regarding previous military aid shipments to Israel.
103 arrested
The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed that 103 people were arrested for disorderly conduct after officers ordered demonstrators to clear the road. All of those detained were subsequently released.
Organisers noted that nine of those arrested were elected officials and candidates for office, including Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 13th congressional district. In a statement following her detention, Chevalier asserted that Netanyahu belongs at The Hague rather than in the streets of New York City or addressing the UNGA.
JVP organiser Jess Frankel Carrel stated that, as a Jewish New Yorker, she wanted US tax dollars directed towards funding local schools and communities rather than Israel’s war on Gaza, affirming that activists would continue fighting until the genocide ends.
Hours later, a separate demonstration organised by the Palestinian Youth Movement and The People’s Forum saw thousands of protesters march towards UN headquarters. Taher Dahleh, an organiser with the Palestinian Youth Movement, noted that New York would never be a safe haven for fugitives of international law or war criminals, urging an end to international complicity and highlighting that the UN had given Israel repeated deadlines without seeing change.
Inside the UN chamber, Netanyahu defended his government’s conduct from the podium, rejecting accusations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza as the “greatest lie of the century” and claiming Israel had taken steps to protect Palestinian civilians.
During his speech on Thursday afternoon, Netanyahu also launched an attack on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, labelling him “anti-Semitic”, accusing him of spreading lies about Israel, and claiming that many Jews no longer felt safe in New York since Mamdani’s election.
Mayor Mamdani responded by accusing Netanyahu of repeating “baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians”, adding that the prime minister remains the subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
While Mamdani had pledged during his campaign to have Netanyahu arrested if he visited New York, he has since acknowledged that he lacks the authority to carry out such an arrest.
For demonstrators, Netanyahu’s appearance provided a key platform to carry their message beyond the UN chamber, calling on international leaders and the US government to take decisive action regarding Gaza.
