Israeli Delegation Walks Out During Erdogan’s Speech at UN General Assembly

New York | September 23, 2026

Diplomatic tensions were visible at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday when the Israeli delegation walked out of the hall during a speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In his address, Erdogan criticized Israel’s policies regarding the situation in Gaza and the West Bank and called on the international community to increase pressure on Israel. According to reports, the Israeli delegation left the hall during his speech.

Erdogan prominently raised the issue of Palestine, saying that attempts to eliminate or weaken the Palestinian state would not succeed. He reiterated his call for an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Iran was also a major focus at this year’s UN General Assembly. During US President Donald Trump’s address on September 22, when he referred to US military action against Iran and the possibility of further action, most members of the Iranian delegation walked out of the hall. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were not present in the hall at the time.

Meanwhile, Iranian and US officials also held talks in New York after several months. According to reports, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held discussions lasting around three hours.

The conflicts involving Iran, Israel and Gaza, along with the wider crisis in West Asia, remain among the major issues dominating this year’s high-level UN General Assembly debate.