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

Submitted by Imene Guiza on Fri, 09/25/2026 - 13:03 Meanwhile, Emirati delegation's decision to remain for Israeli PM's address is criticised and mocked by social media users

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to delegates walking out of the General Assembly hall after he arrived to address the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City on 24 September 2026 (Mike Segar/Reuters) Off

As Benjamin Netanyahu began addressing the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, delegates from dozens of countries left the hall in a collective protest for the second year in a row.

Representatives from a group of mainly western nations remained as the Israeli prime minister lashed out at critics, international media, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and leftwing pundit Hasan Piker, among others - and denied that his country was committing a genocide in Gaza.

Among the countries whose representatives remained for his speech, noted many social media users, was the United Arab Emirates.

While most online commentators criticised the decision, Emirati social media figures celebrated it, framing it as a peacemaking, exemplary and defiant move.

“THE UAE IS IN THE HALL. We show up. We don’t run😎,” Ahmed Khalifa, a prominent online defender of Abu Dhabi wrote on X, alongside a photograph showing Netanyahu speaking as many seats around the Emirati delegation were empty.

Khalifa later posted: “It’s not our problem if you run! Be Brave. Face it. Listen. Argue point for point. Fleeing is childish. It only proves you’re incapable! 😉”

"We stay and we listen. That’s how bridges are built," posted Rauda Altenaiji, who describes herself on her X profile as a "seeker of bold ideas".

"We don’t do it teenager-esque style. We Dubai It, even in politics 🇦🇪🇦🇪."

UAE did NOT Walk Out for Netanyahu's Speech pic.twitter.com/7EZ9JVx1r0
— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) September 24, 2026

The posts were met with ridicule and anger from other users, who interpreted the UAE’s presence as a signal of public support for Israel.

“You showed up for Netanyahu. You ran from every child bleeding in Gaza,” one user replied to Khalifa.

Others highlighted Abu Dhabi's role in Sudan's bloody war, where it backs the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been been accused of atrocities, including massacres, sexual violence and torture.

"Why would you run?" asked one user. "You're doing the exact same thing in Sudan that Israel is doing in Gaza."

The UAE has repeatedly denied supplying the RSF with weapons or other support, but its support for the paramilitary group is widely documented.

Staying at the table
while Gaza burns
is complicity.

diplomacy cannot cover inaction during genocide.
— ani mator (@animator1514951) September 25, 2026

The presence of the UAE also prompted users to turn Netanyahu’s labelling of those who walked out as "moral cowards" against the Emirati delegation.

"The UAE stayed. They are the most disgusting cowards,” one user wrote.

Netanyahu:

“Before I even start, any MORAL disgusting COWARDS still sitting in this hall can get up and leave now.”

The UAE stayed. They are the most disgusting cowards

pic.twitter.com/gemu87CXMV
— Shirin (@Shirink_13) September 24, 2026

Iran’s delegation was also absent from the chamber during Netanyahu’s speech, leaving a portrait of slain Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani at its seats.

“The Iranian delegation is not present for Netanyahu’s speech. Instead they’ve left a picture of Qasem Soleimani,” one X user wrote, sharing an image of the empty seats.

The Iranian delegation is not present for Netanyahu’s speech.
Instead they’ve left a picture of Qasem Soleimani https://t.co/dCGh4OHjF2 pic.twitter.com/HJGLAbsrMg
— Cetra ☫ (@313_Luvr) September 24, 2026

Earlier in the day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed world leaders in a pre-recorded video after the US denied him a visa to attend the UN gathering in person for the second consecutive year.

The walkout came amid growing protests in New York over Netanyahu’s visit. Several hundred people gathered near the UN, with demonstrators chanting “Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live”.

Around 100 people were arrested, according to the New York Police Department, including actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder.

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