New York: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to speak before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) today, but his speech is likely to evoke a planned boycott by Muslim and Arab nations.
As reported by international media, Muslim country representatives have collectively decided that they will walk out of the Assembly hall when Netanyahu starts his address. The gesture is meant to be a symbolic protest against Israeli policies and Netanyahu’s provocative remarks in favor of a “Greater Israel” initiative.
Diplomats of Arab capitals have termed the boycott a call of solidarity with Palestinians, who are still subjected to military raids, displacement, and limitations in Gaza and the West Bank. Leaders of a few Muslim-majority nations have already expressed alarm that Netanyahu’s rhetoric is endangering Arab security and regional stability.
The organized walkout contributes to tensions at the UNGA this year, where the Gaza war, the Palestinian humanitarian crisis, and instability in the region have been on top of the agenda. Netanyahu, who has come under increasing international pressure over the past few months, will be defending Israel’s moves and sharing his government’s vision for regional security.
The boycott decision comes after comments from Netanyahu earlier in the year, when he reaffirmed his government’s intentions to expand Israeli domination over contested lands. Muslim leaders attacked the comments, saying such plans hampered peace efforts and threatened to add to broader conflict in the Middle East.
Today’s UNGA session will also include addresses from other notable world leaders, including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Commentators add that the contrast between Netanyahu’s speech and those of Muslim and Asian leaders may further accentuate the deep fault lines among the Assembly regarding Middle East issues.
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Analysts point out that UNGA boycotts, though mostly symbolic, have diplomatic significance in that they attract international focus to disputed policies. Coordinated walkouts, as a tool of states, have previously been employed to communicate collective disapproval short of escalating matters to formal mediation or sanctions.
As Netanyahu is about to address the assembly, the Muslim nations’ walkout is likely to emphasize the ongoing resistance to Israeli expansionist politics and to further solidify demands for renewed emphasis on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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