–UN General Assembly Chamber Largely Empty as World Reacts to Gaza Conflict
NEW YORK — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday was marked less by his speech and more by a dramatic walkout by world leaders. According to Israeli officials, 77 delegations—including Liberia’s—were either absent or left the chamber as Netanyahu began his 41-minute remarks.
The empty seats included Israel’s immediate neighbors—Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria—as well as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran. Other absences came from countries across Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. While some delegations staged a walkout in protest, others were reportedly absent due to scheduling conflicts, Israeli officials noted.
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, both signatories of the 2020 Abraham Accords, remained in their seats, despite ongoing tensions over the war in Gaza and internal political debates in Israel.
Global Attention on the Empty Chamber
The mass departure drew international attention, with many media outlets highlighting the protest rather than Netanyahu’s pledge to “finish the job” against Hamas. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shared images of the empty chamber online, calling Israel “the most despised and isolated regime.”
Other notable countries absent or walking out included Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Ireland, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Palestine. Liberia’s absence has caught the eye of the nation’s Pentecostal communities and other observers, given its historical support for the two-state solution.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai previously articulated Liberia’s backing for a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict during his UNGA speech earlier. However, since the outbreak of war—which has claimed the lives of over 65,000 Palestinians and 500 Israelis, and displaced more than two million Palestinians—Liberia’s government has yet to issue an official statement on ongoing hostilities.
The conflict has left Gaza in ruins, triggering widespread famine and a humanitarian crisis, particularly affecting women, children, and the elderly. Recently, the National Muslim Council of Liberia condemned Israeli attacks on Qatar, which killed six civilians, but the Liberia Council of Churches has remained silent on the escalating conflict.
The Israeli Defense Forces have also launched strikes in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, and Syria, further heightening tensions in the region.
Liberia Joins a Global Protest
Liberia was listed among the 77 countries that either did not attend Netanyahu’s address or staged a walkout at the start of his speech:
Suriname, Tuvalu, Turkmenistan, Yemen, Egypt, Panama, Senegal, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Congo, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tonga, Uzbekistan, Angola, Barbados, Colombia, Comoros, Dominica, Djibouti, North Macedonia, San Marino, South Africa, Somalia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Brazil, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lebanon, Liberia, Eritrea, Chad, Central African Republic, Libya, Mauritania, Jordan, Nicaragua, Madagascar, Niger, Peru, Saint Lucia, Slovenia, Afghanistan, Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, North Korea, Eswatini, Syria, Uganda, Pakistan, Lesotho, Bolivia, Spain, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Mozambique, Myanmar, Ireland, Maldives, Indonesia, Kuwait, Namibia, Malaysia, Guyana, Kenya.
The absence of Liberia at a session of such global significance highlights the complex balancing act for nations navigating diplomatic relations amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.
