Mauritania denies mission stayed during Netanyahu UN speech

Mauritania’s UN delegation has denied reports that its representatives remained in the General Assembly hall during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address, insisting they withdrew as soon as he entered.

Mauritanian media quoted the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Mohamed Laktaf, as saying he was not present with Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug at the session. He clarified that members of the delegation who were in the hall walked out, reaffirming Mauritania’s firm stance against the genocide in Gaza.

Footage posted on social media showed the Mauritanian delegation leaving their seats as Netanyahu entered. Confusion arose after the presence of a veiled woman in the Mauritania section sparked speculation online, though activists noted that Mauritania and Mauritius share adjacent seating under UN alphabetical order.

The incident comes amid widespread anger in Israel after Netanyahu addressed a largely empty hall. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, 77 countries boycotted the speech, including “all four of Israel’s neighbors, as well as Saudi Arabia.” In contrast, the paper highlighted that representatives from Bahrain and the UAE remained in their seats.