Gaza reveals the extent of Israeli diplomatic isolation
Diplomatic delegations walked out of the UN General Assembly hall as Netanyahu began his speech, a scene reflecting growing international rejection of the occupation government's policies in Gaza and the West Bank, turning objections from condemnation statements into a symbolic act within the UN forum.
Diplomatic delegations walked out of the UN General Assembly hall as occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his speech last Thursday, a scene the newspaper described as going beyond a protest of protocol to express broad international rejection of the occupation's policies in Gaza and the West Bank. The speech comes weeks before the Israeli elections scheduled for October 27, amid polls indicating a decline in Netanyahu's coalition bloc. Outside the UN building, hundreds of protesters demonstrated and chanted slogans calling for an end to arming Israel, before police detained some of them. The newspaper quoted expert Wadie Abu Nassar saying the walkout represents 'a political and moral vote at the global level against the narrative Netanyahu is trying to market.' He added that Netanyahu tried to build his speech on an equation portraying Israel as a 'victim,' but he saw that this equation is no longer convincing. Meanwhile, expert Ibrahim Abu Jaber said the walkout reflects an escalating Israeli isolation extending to Western capitals that had provided political and military cover. He noted that Netanyahu did not present an initiative to stop the war or end the occupation, but rather reproduced a security discourse based on fearmongering.