New York (QNN)- Several Emirati social media influencers have celebrated the United Arab Emirates’ decision to remain in the United Nations General Assembly hall during ICC-wanted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech, as delegations from dozens of countries walked out in protest.
Netanyahu addressed the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, amid widespread international criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him over war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As Netanyahu began speaking, representatives from dozens of countries left the chamber for the second consecutive year, including Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Spain, Brazil, and Malaysia.
The UAE delegation was among those that remained in the hall throughout the speech.
The UAE’s presence drew criticism online, while several Emirati influencers publicly praised the decision.
Emirati social media figure Ahmed Khalifa posted a photograph of the nearly empty General Assembly hall, highlighting the UAE delegation’s presence. “The UAE is in the hall. We show up. We don’t run,” he wrote.
Another Emirati influencer, Rauda Altenaiji, defended the decision.
Their posts were met with backlash from other social media users, some of whom interpreted the UAE delegation’s decision to remain as a sign of support for Netanyahu and Israel.
Netanyahu used his UN address to defend the Gaza genocide, and attack several of his critics, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran and European governments. He also rejected reports that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The UAE’s decision to remain in the chamber comes despite the country’s official diplomatic position on the Palestinian issue and its calls for a two-state solution.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates established formal diplomatic ties through the Abraham Accords in September 2020.
Nearly three years of genocide in Gaza have not stopped the UAE from maintaining full diplomatic, commercial and security ties with Israel.
The UAE remains Israel’s largest Arab trading partner. Bilateral trade reached $3.2bn in 2025, even as Israel continued killing Palestinians in Gaza after signing a ceasefire last October.
