OTTAWA, Ontario – Canada was not among the delegations that staged a mass walkout during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly, officials said.
The office of Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae, said the ambassador remained seated for the speech. Dozens of other delegations exited the chamber as Netanyahu took the podium.
Israel reported that 77 delegations were either absent from the hall altogether or left at the start of the address. The tally included Israel’s neighbours and a mix of countries that left in protest and those absent for other reasons.
International outlets reported that scores of diplomats walked out in response to Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks and to rising international criticism over the Gaza war. Media coverage showed delegations leaving the chamber and protesters outside the UN complex.
Mr. Netanyahu used his speech to denounce recent recognitions of Palestinian statehood by several Western nations and to defend Israel’s conduct against Hamas. His remarks drew sharp reactions inside and outside the hall.
Canadian officials did not join the walkout. Ottawa’s decision to keep its ambassador in the chamber underscored a different diplomatic posture from many other capitals that staged the protest.
For pro-Israel and Jewish readers, the facts are significant. Canada’s presence in the hall signals continued diplomatic engagement even amid heated disagreement. Observers say remaining to listen allows countries to register their views through formal channels rather than gestures alone.
Israel’s tally of the delegations that were either absent from the chamber or walked out at the start of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s UN General Assembly address (77 countries), as published by Ynet:
- 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
This article is based on verified information from The Canadian Press reporting carried by CityNews and other Canadian outlets, Reuters, and Ynet.