NEW YORK: The Malaysian delegation was among those from many other countries that walked out in protest when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was about to speak at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said during the session, all countries supporting the Palestinian resolution, based on the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the UN Security Council (UNSC), also took similar action.
"As we could see, when Netanyahu entered the hall to begin his speech, everyone stood up and left.
"We, the Malaysian delegation, also left the hall.
"The countries that supported the decision or the 'advisory opinion' from the ICJ all left the hall. The hall was empty.
"However, as usual, Netanyahu arrogantly and proudly belittled the role of the UN and its agencies, as if to say that the UN plays no role," he said.
Earlier, at the same session, the delegation from Turkiye and many others left the assembly hall before Netanyahu's turn to deliver his general debate, as a sign of protest
The delegation, led by Turkiye's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ahmet Yildiz, was reported to be among those who took the same action.