Dhaka joins global protest against Israel
Bangladesh joined a mass diplomatic walkout at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began addressing the 81st session, signalling its participation in an international protest over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the suffering of Palestinians.
The walkout, which left large sections of the General Assembly Hall empty, involved delegations from countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
Bangladesh was among those whose representatives left the chamber or whose seats remained vacant during Netanyahu’s address.
Reports and footage from UN headquarters identified Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Algeria, Iran, Malaysia, Montenegro and Kyrgyzstan among the countries whose delegations walked out or had empty seats.
Jordan, Libya, the Marshall Islands and Mauritius were also reported to have empty seats, although some delegations reportedly left one representative behind.
Anadolu’s review said representatives from nearly 70 countries either walked out or left their seats vacant as Netanyahu approached the podium.
Its list included Bangladesh, Türkiye, Palestine, Tunisia, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Lebanon, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Spain, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Nigeria, Ghana, Libya, Afghanistan, Oman, Niger, Madagascar, Botswana, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, and Cabo Verde.
There was, however, no single confirmed list of all countries whose delegates left the hall, with some reports relying on photographs showing empty national seats.
Netanyahu continued his address as diplomats streamed out of the chamber, while supporters in the visitors’ gallery cheered.
He dismissed the departing delegates as “phony human rights protesters” and later described those who remained in the hall after the walkout as “moral cowards”, according to Dawn.
The Israeli prime minister used the platform to defend Israel’s military operations in Gaza and reject allegations that the country had committed genocide against Palestinians.
“Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide,” he said.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has drawn sustained international criticism over civilian casualties, displacement and the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
Israel rejects allegations of genocide and maintains that its operations are directed against Hamas.
Netanyahu also criticised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has publicly opposed Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza and previously called for the Israeli prime minister to face the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant.
Mamdani rejects Netanyahu’s claims
Responding after the address, Mamdani accused Netanyahu of using the UN platform to repeat what he described as “baseless lies” about Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians,” Mamdani said.
“No lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity,” he added.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations and disputes the court’s authority.
Protests spread across Manhattan
The diplomatic walkout coincided with demonstrations across Manhattan against Netanyahu and Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza.
Hundreds of protesters gathered near the UN headquarters, blocking traffic and chanting slogans against US support for Israel. Police detained demonstrators as officers moved to clear the roads, according to Reuters.
Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian groups held separate demonstrations, while progressive Jewish organisations staged a rally near the UN to oppose Netanyahu’s policies.
The largest direct action was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, whose New York chapter brought protesters to First Avenue and 39th Street.
Police later said more than 100 people had been taken into custody. Actors, musicians and politicians were among those detained.
The protests reflected mounting divisions in US public opinion over Israel’s military campaign and its treatment of Palestinians.
Generational divide over Israel
A Pew Research Centre survey conducted in May found that 18 per cent of Americans aged 18-29 had a favourable view of the Israeli government, compared with 47 per cent of those aged 65 and older.
Among younger Americans, 58 per cent had a favourable view of Palestinians, against 47 per cent of people aged 65 and above.
The contrasting scenes inside and outside the UN – diplomats leaving the chamber, demonstrators confronting police and Netanyahu defending Israel’s military actions – underscored the deep international and domestic divisions surrounding the war in Gaza and the plight of Palestinians.
