By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines walked out of the United Nations General Assembly as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, joining dozens of delegations that left the chamber in a highly visible diplomatic rebuke of the Israeli leader’s appearance before the world body.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Philippine diplomats participated in the September 24 walkout, saying the move reflected Manila’s solidarity with calls for peace in the Middle East.
DFA spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said the Philippines was concerned over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israel’s E1 settlement plan and continuing settler violence in the West Bank.
“These actions,” the DFA said, undermine efforts to establish a viable Palestinian state and make the search for a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the conflict more difficult.
The Philippine delegation’s departure came as Netanyahu approached the UN rostrum. As he began speaking, delegations from various countries filed out of the chamber, leaving a visibly divided General Assembly behind.
Netanyahu later lashed out at those who walked out, describing the departing delegates as “moral cowards.”
The Philippine government, however, placed its action within a broader diplomatic position that it has continued to articulate on the conflict.
Manila has reiterated its support for a two-state solution and expressed opposition to developments that it says threaten the prospects of Palestinian statehood.
The DFA had also raised concerns over Israel’s E1 settlement plan and settler violence in the West Bank, warning that such developments could undermine prospects for a future Palestinian state.
The walkout thus put the Philippine delegation on the record at a critical moment before the United Nations: when Netanyahu took the podium, Manila chose to leave the chamber.
For the Philippines, the gesture was tied to its stated call for peace, concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and support for a negotiated settlement that would preserve the possibility of two states living side by side.
ia/xf
