Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to a mostly empty assembly on Wednesday after diplomatic representatives vacated the hall to protest his address to the United Nations. Netanyahu responded to the departures by calling the departing delegates "moral cowards" and inviting anyone else who had not yet left to do so immediately. The walkouts began just as the Israeli Prime Minister took the stage at the General Assembly on Sept. 24.

The internal diplomatic friction was mirrored by unrest in New York City, where hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters blocked First Avenue outside the UN building. The NYPD detained numerous demonstrators, including celebrities Elliot Page, Susan Sarandon and Chelsea Manning, to clear the roads. In his speech, Netanyahu accused Qatar of spending billions on brainwashing efforts in Europe and the U.S. and urged Iranian delegates to defect.