77 UN seats empty as Netanyahu addresses General Assembly

UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. — Seventy-seven United Nations country delegations were absent from the General Assembly hall or left at the start of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address, according to a count by Israeli officials reported by Ynet News. The figure refers to empty country seats / national delegations — not a headcount of individual people. Video of the chamber shows a larger crowd of diplomats and staff exiting the aisles as the speech began.

Netanyahu’s remarks ran about 41 minutes, Ynet reported. Israeli officials said the 77 includes all four of Israel’s immediate neighbors — Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria — as well as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran, among others. Middle East Monitor and other outlets likewise cited the 77-delegation figure circulating from Israeli reporting.

Important caveat: Israeli officials stressed that not every empty seat was a staged walkout. Some delegations simply did not attend the morning session in New York, where Netanyahu was the first scheduled speaker. Egypt and Jordan did not take their seats but “did not join the staged protest,” officials told Ynet. Pakistan’s delegation walked out, then stood at the sidelines to listen. By contrast, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — Abraham Accords partners — remained seated, according to the same Israeli account.

Watch the chamber empty as the speech begins (viral clip circulating on X; post below embeds the video):

UN General Assembly WALKS OUT as Netanyahu speaks. 2026 (81st session): majority of UN delegations left in protest as Netanyahu began to speak. September 24, 2026

— GenXGirl (@GenXGirl1994) September 24, 2026

Viral social posts — including the @GenXGirl1994 clip above, which also circulated via @Acyn — described a “majority of UN delegations” leaving. That phrasing does not match the verified empty-seat count against full UN membership. The United Nations has 193 member states. Seventy-seven of 193 is roughly 40%, which is a large share of the hall but not a majority of all UN members. Hudson TV is reporting the Israeli/Ynet count of 77 countries absent or leaving, not repeating the “majority” claim as fact.

Regional tallies circulating with the same 77-country list (and summarized in wire coverage) break down roughly as: Arab states 18; Asia/Turkey 14; non-Arab Africa 20; Latin America/Caribbean 17; Europe 6; Oceania 2. The full country-by-country list is published in Ynet News.

Sources: Israeli officials’ count reported by Ynet News (full 77-country list; 41-minute speech; Egypt/Jordan/Pakistan/Bahrain/UAE notes); Middle East Monitor; video via X — @GenXGirl1994 / @Acyn.