Emirati influencers celebrate UAE sitting for Netanyahu’s speech to UN amid walkout

What Happened

Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday. Delegates from dozens of countries walked out in collective protest for the second consecutive year, while representatives from mainly Western nations remained. The United Arab Emirates delegation stayed through the speech; Emirati social media figures, including Ahmed Khalifa and Rauda Altenaiji, celebrated the decision online, calling it brave and bridge-building. Iranian representatives were absent and left a portrait of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani at their seats. Netanyahu used the speech to criticise New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and commentator Hasan Piker, and denied that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Earlier in the day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly in a pre-recorded video after the US denied him a visa to attend in person for the second straight year. Outside, several hundred protesters gathered near the UN, chanting 'Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live'; the New York Police Department said around 100 people were arrested, including actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder. Some social media users criticised the UAE's presence and raised its alleged support for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan; the UAE has repeatedly denied supplying weapons or other support to the RSF.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The UAE's visible presence during Netanyahu's speech underscores the durability of the 2020 Abraham Accords normalisation even as the Gaza war has isolated Israel in much of the UN. The walkout and online backlash show persistent regional and public polarisation over the war, while surfacing of the UAE's alleged Sudan role links separate conflict accountability debates.

Watch For

Watch for an official UAE foreign ministry statement on the delegation's presence, any formal reaction from the Arab League or other normalised states, further General Assembly votes or resolutions on Israel-Palestine during the current session, and whether the US visa denial to Abbas prompts Palestinian diplomatic countermeasures. Also monitor New York protest activity and any legal proceedings for those arrested.