77 delegations walk out of Netanyahu’s UN speech, India stayed: Why Modi govt refused to follow the herd and triggered leftist meltdown

· OpIndia

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, 24th September, was met with a major walkout by diplomats from several countries. Reports put the number of delegations that walked out at around 77, although a complete official list of all the countries that left the chamber has not been released. The walkout was encouraged by the Palestinian Mission to the UN, which had urged delegations to collectively leave the hall when Netanyahu took the podium. India, however, did not join the boycott and remained present during the Israeli Prime Minister’s address.

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The episode soon triggered criticism from Islamo-leftist and pro-Palestinian commentators on social media, who questioned why New Delhi did not join the walkout. Even as it underscored New Delhi’s commitment to pragmatic foreign policy and long-standing strategic partnerships.

What Netanyahu said at the UN and which countries walked out

Netanyahu began his speech as diplomats were leaving the chamber. The Israeli Prime Minister responded directly to the walkout and described those leaving as “moral cowards”. He also challenged those who remained in the hall to leave if they opposed Israel. “If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu said.

He used much of the address to defend Israel’s military actions in Gaza and against Iran while rejecting allegations that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Netanyahu described the genocide accusation as “the biggest lie of the century” and argued that Israel was acting in self-defence. He also said that Israel’s military action against Iran was necessary to prevent a nuclear threat and said the decision to strike Iran had been “one of the easiest decisions” he had made.

Netanyahu also revealed that some countries whose representatives had walked out had privately thanked Israel for its military actions against Iran. “Many of their leaders even thanked us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes,” he said, accusing them of hypocrisy.

The scene inside the UN chamber was striking. Footage showed diplomats streaming out as Netanyahu prepared to speak, while members of the Israeli delegation and some supporters applauded him. A large number of seats remained empty as he continued his address.

A complete confirmed list of all 77 countries has not been publicly established. Reports and photographs from the chamber showed empty seats belonging to several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Algeria, Malaysia, Montenegro and Kyrgyzstan. Jordan, Libya, Mauritius and the Marshall Islands were also reported to have empty seats, although in some cases a country may have had individual representatives remaining in the chamber.

Other reports said representatives of several Arab, Muslim-majority and other countries, including Colombia, South Africa and Indonesia, were among those who left. 

India’s decision to remain in the chamber stands out in this context. New Delhi did not participate in the coordinated walkout, even as dozens of delegations left Netanyahu’s address. The decision does not mean that India has abandoned its support for Palestinian statehood or a peaceful settlement. Rather, it is consistent with India’s long-standing effort to maintain relations with both Israel and Palestine while keeping its foreign policy focused on its own strategic interests.

Decades of friendship: India and Israel’s deep strategic partnership

These leftist ecosystems just know how to criticise every second decision of the country without considering the facts. They overlook the deep-rooted, decades-long friendship between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, which has consistently delivered tangible security benefits. 

India and Israel have developed a strong partnership over the last three decades. Although India recognised Israel in 1950, full diplomatic relations were established in 1992. Since then, ties between the two countries have expanded significantly in areas such as defence, technology, agriculture, cybersecurity and trade.

During the current government’s tenure, India has become Israel’s largest weapons buyer, with bilateral trade expanding dramatically from USD 200 million in 1992 to more than USD 6 billion by 2024. This economic and defensive bond is backed by a Bilateral Investment Treaty signed in September 2025, which has given a further fillip to trade in sectors like petroleum, chemicals, engineering goods, and polished diamonds.

Security experts emphasise that Israel has consistently proven to be a vital defence partner during times of acute national crisis when other global powers were reluctant to provide immediate assistance. 

India’s defence deals with Israel date back to 1962, when Israel provided military aid to India in its war against China. In 1999, during India’s war with Pakistan, Israel supplied the IAF with the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ‘Searcher’ and surveillance systems for Jaguar and Mirage squadrons. The defence ties with Israel have increased since 2014, with around 42.1% of all arms exports from Israel landing in India, with Azerbaijan, Vietnam, and the US making up the other major customers.  

The relationship has also increasingly involved cooperation between Indian and Israeli defence companies. This means the partnership is no longer limited to buying finished weapons. Joint development, local manufacturing and technology cooperation have become important parts of India’s defence strategy.

India’s partnership with Israel is not limited to defence. Exports are, however, concentrated across a few key sectors, like gems and jewellery, especially cut and polished diamonds, which are sent to Israel’s large diamond trading hubs. Apart from this, petroleum products, organic chemicals, plastics, and engineering goods also form a major portion of the exports. In very recent years, there has been a sharp drop in Indian exports to Israel – PM Modi’s visit can supposedly perk up the exports again, courtesy of strategic deals and tie-ups across areas.  

India-Israel partnership and Operation Sindoor

The practical value of the defence relationship was again visible during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The practical value of this defence partnership was put on full display during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The conflict escalated sharply following a deadly attack by Pakistani terrorists on 22nd April, 2025 in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam, where 26 Hindu tourists were killed by cross-border militants. In response to this provocation, the Indian Armed Forces launched a fierce, targeted counter-attack codenamed Operation Sindoor. 

The 23-minute operation, which commenced at 1:05 AM on 7th May, relied heavily on sophisticated Israeli-manufactured technology alongside indigenous and Russian systems to strike enemy positions and secure Indian airspace against incoming retaliatory threats. Israeli military hardware played a decisive role in ensuring the operation’s success:

  • Harop Loitering Munitions: The Indian Armed Forces deployed Israeli-made Harop kamikaze drones specifically designed to destroy air defence systems and radar units. Capable of staying over target areas for up to nine hours and equipped with a 50-pound warhead, these drones operated with high autonomy. During the operation, they successfully struck and eliminated a crucial Pakistani air defence facility in Lahore.
  • Heron Mk2 UAVs: For surveillance and reconnaissance, the air force used Heron Mk2 drones, which can cruise at altitudes up to 35,000 feet and stay airborne for over 40 hours. Operating from forward bases, these long-endurance drones provided real-time intelligence, target acquisition, and battle damage assessments across the rugged northern terrain, remaining safely out of reach of conventional ground-based anti-aircraft weaponry.
  • SkyStriker Drones: Manufactured through a partnership between Israel’s Elbit Security Systems and India’s Alpha Design Technologies in Bengaluru, these quiet, electrically propelled loitering munitions were used for covert low-altitude strikes. Carrying 5 to 10-kilogram bombs, they successfully engaged specific tactical targets even in environments where GPS signals were disrupted.
  • Barak 8 Missile Defence System: Developed jointly by India’s DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Barak 8 long-range surface-to-air missile system proved critical in protecting the domestic front. When Pakistan attempted a retaliatory strike by firing a Fatah-II ballistic missile aimed toward Delhi, the Barak-8 system successfully intercepted and destroyed the incoming missile over Sirsa, Haryana.
  • Spice-2000 Precision Bomb Kits: Indian warplanes used Israeli-designed Spice-2000 guidance kits to convert standard general-purpose bombs into smart, “fire-and-forget” precision stand-off weapons. Using advanced scene-matching algorithms, these bombs accurately penetrated the roofs of targeted terror camps while minimising collateral damage to surrounding civilian areas.
  • Tavor X95 Assault Rifles: On the ground, elite special forces units, including MARCOS and Garud commandos, were equipped with compact, bullpup-shaped Tavor X95 rifles manufactured under license in India. These rifles provided high reliability and manoeuvrability during close-quarters security operations.

The clean sweeps achieved during Operation Sindoor, which resulted in the elimination of nearly 100 terrorists, including close relatives and top commanders of JeM chief Masood Azhar and LeT strategist Abu Jundal, demonstrated how deeply embedded Israeli defence tech is within India’s operational readiness.

Social media outrage by the Islamo-leftist ecosystem

Following the speech, several prominent voices from the domestic left-liberal and opposition ecosystem flooded social media with harsh criticisms of India’s neutral and pragmatic stance. Congress Karnataka general secretary Lavanya Ballal criticised India’s position on X, writing, “77 countries walked out while Netanyahu started to speak in the UN. India was not among the 77 countries.” Her post was widely circulated as the walkout became a major talking point online.

Another online user expressed deep frustration, writing, “I feel grotesquely disgusted and disappointed that my country, India, didn’t walk out when War Criminal Benjamin Netanyahu started his address to the UN General Assembly.” The same post went on to criticise India’s broader foreign engagements, including the recently concluded BRICS Summit in New Delhi, claiming a disconnect between international declarations and bilateral ties.

Journalist Ranjona Banerji also weighed in by sharing a map of the countries that boycotted the speech, adding, “Sigh. India would have been on that list once. Before…” Banerji is a part of the left ecosystem. A simple scroll through her timeline shows how well she spreads anti-Hindu propaganda

Another social-media user, Pragnya Gupta, expressed strong criticism of Netanyahu while referring to his appearance before the UN. In a long post, she described him using terms including “Genocidal Maniac” and referred to him as a “Dear Friend of India’s PM, Narendra Modi”.

Another user, Prashant Pundir, responding to a post about the countries that walked out, wrote, “India is in a very grey area.”

Hamas and Pakistani terror groups in PoK

While the Islamo-leftist ecosystem demands total estrangement from Israel, geopolitical realities present a starkly different picture, particularly regarding transnational terror networks. In February last year, Hamas, the terror outfit governing the Gaza Strip, publicly aligned itself with Pakistan-based terrorist organisations Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) during a conference in Rawalakot, PoK.

Speakers at the event, including JeM leadership and Dr Khalid Al-Qadoumi, the Hamas representative in Iran, openly called for renewed violence against India. This alarming development highlights how terrorist outfits responsible for attacks like the 2008 Mumbai carnage and the 2019 Pulwama bombing are forging direct operational ties with Middle Eastern terrorists groups. Given that Hamas launched the devastating 7th October, 2023, terror attacks against Israeli civilians, its expanding footprint near India’s borders makes robust intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation with trusted allies like Israel more critical than ever.

India’s balanced approach: Supporting peace and humanitarian aid for Palestine

At the same time, India’s decision not to walk out of Netanyahu’s UN speech should not be interpreted as a rejection of the Palestinian cause. India has consistently maintained a balanced foreign policy that refuses to abandon Palestine. New Delhi officially supports a two-state solution, advocating for the establishment of a sovereign, independent, and viable Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace with Israel, alongside supporting Palestine’s membership at the UN.

India has also supported Palestine’s membership of the United Nations and has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and the peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. New Delhi has also expressed concern over civilian casualties and stressed the need for safe and sustained humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.

India has backed these diplomatic statements with humanitarian assistance. According to data presented by the Ministry of External Affairs in the Lok Sabha in August last year, India provided around 70 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Palestine during the initial phase of the Gaza crisis, including 16.5 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies sent in October and November 2023. India subsequently sent nearly 65 tonnes of life-saving medicines to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in October and November 2024.

India has also contributed financially to UNRWA. MEA data shows that India’s contribution to UNRWA from 2002 to 2024 totalled about $39.53 million, including annual contributions in recent years. India has also supported developmental assistance and capacity-building programmes in Palestine through scholarships and technical cooperation.

This is important because India’s policy is not simply “Israel vs Palestine”. New Delhi has condemned the 7th October 2023, Hamas attack on Israel while simultaneously supporting Palestinian statehood and humanitarian assistance for Palestinians. The Indian position has therefore involved maintaining diplomatic engagement with Israel while continuing to support Palestine’s political and humanitarian interests.

Conclusion: National interest above personal sentiments

Ultimately, international diplomacy cannot and must not be dictated by emotional sentiments, ideological alignments, or the transient outrage of this leftist ecosystem. A nation’s primary obligation is to protect its citizens, safeguard its territorial integrity, and secure its strategic and economic future. While India maintains a principled, humanitarian commitment to the Palestinian people through aid and diplomatic advocacy, getting swept up in distant ideological boycotts offers no tangible security returns. By refusing to follow the herd at the United Nations, New Delhi once again proved that India’s foreign policy is anchored firmly in national interest, realism, and unwavering pragmatism.

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