AhlulBayt News Agency: Emirati social media figures have praised the UAE delegation for staying in the United Nations General Assembly chamber as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the session.
Netanyahu used his 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.
Netanyahu addressed the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday even as 77 delegations left the hall in protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Ahmed Khalifa, a prominent Emirati social media figure, celebrated the UAE’s presence by posting a photograph of Netanyahu speaking before the largely emptied chamber, writing, “THE UAE IS IN THE HALL. We show up. We do not run.”
Khalifa followed the post by denouncing those who left the chamber, writing, “It is not our problem if you run!”
Another Emirati influencer, Rauda Altenaiji, also defended the UAE’s decision, writing, “We stay and we listen … We Dubai It, even in politics.”
The celebratory posts drew sharp condemnation from other users on X, who said the Emirati influencers were glorifying the UAE’s decision to remain seated while Netanyahu defended Israel’s genocidal conduct in Gaza.
A user questioned the UAE’s stance by referring to its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, writing, “Why would you run?” and saying Abu Dhabi was doing “the exact same thing in Sudan that Israel is doing in Gaza.”
“Staying at the table while Gaza burns is complicity. Diplomacy cannot cover inaction during genocide,” another X user wrote in response to the UAE’s presence in the chamber.
Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, attacked those who walked out and described them as “cowards.”
The remark itself was turned against the UAE on X, with one user posting, “The UAE stayed. They are the most disgusting cowards.”
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, with bilateral trade reaching $3.2 billion in 2025, even as Israel continued its military aggression against Gaza after signing a ceasefire last October.
According to the latest figures reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed at least 73,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 174,000 others since the regime launched its genocidal war on the territory on October 7, 2023.
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