Uri Kurlianchik posted on X a list of the 76 countries “whose representatives either did not attend Netanyahu’s speech at the UN or left beforehand.”
Here are my thoughts, in no particular order.
It’s noteworthy that China and Russian did not walk out, but Lebanon and Syria did.
Apparently the walkout was heavily promoted by the PA who asked delegations to beef up their numbers so the participation looked larger than it would otherwise have been.
As Uri also said on X:
This list includes some of the worst countries in the world by any objective metric. Makes one wonder why do some European states wish to be in the company of absolute, backwater shitholes?
This is an excellent point. What the hell, for example, are Spain playing at? One possible explanation is that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is trying to divert attention away from the corruption crisis in the country. Part of the crisis is close to home for him as his wife, Begoña Gómez, is facing charges of public embezzlement and is being investigated for other potential offenses: influence peddling, business corruption, trademark misappropriation, and intrusion. While she’s innocent till proven guilty, the pressure on the couple must be horrendous. How they must enjoy taking a free swing at Israel!
As for the Irish, well, frankly they have form. Their President has behaved in a foul manner towards Israel.
The states participating in the walkout behaved like student activists trying to make a cheap point. It was not a mature act. It was an act of weakness. It was not an act that helped anyone, Palestinian or otherwise.
Arguably, the walkout nations showed the world they are afraid of Bibi, or at least afraid of what he would say to them. So, I’d describe them as cowardly. As many of these nations are tinpot dictatorships who behave like bullies, at least their cowardly act was consistent!
Also, the walkout proved (yet again) the validity of Israel’s persistent and accurate complaint that the UN is biased against Israel. Are you aware of a similar boycott of anyone else’s speech? As far as I can see, those fine upstanding libertarians Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, Ayatollah Khomeini, Fidel Castro, Vladimir Putin, and Mahmoud Abbas (to name a few) were not greeted by any similar display of petulance. Only the Jew among the nations deserves such treatment it seems.
Closer to home, at least one Israeli commentator said Bibi’s speech was directed to the Israeli electorate and not the UN delegations. I think that’s unfair. Sure, part of his thinking would have been how it would be received in Israel, but the focus seemed to me to be firmly on making Israel’s case and chiding the weak ‘allies’ we are supposed to have.
I am no fan of Bibi, but I thought his speech was a good one. He was more polite than I would have been though and that’s one reason why I never went into politics!