The Government of Liberia has moved to set the record straight over reports that Liberia joined a mass diplomatic walkout during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly, insisting that the Liberian delegation did not leave the chamber.
Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah described the reports as “false, misleading and untrue,” saying Liberia remained represented inside the General Assembly Hall as Netanyahu delivered his speech.
Piah’s clarification comes after reports and social media posts circulated claiming that Liberia was among countries whose representatives walked out when the Israeli Prime Minister took the podium in New York.
“During the General Assembly, when Israel, through their Prime Minister was speaking, Liberia was among countries awarded,” Piah said in correcting the report. “That information is totally false, misleading, and untrue.”
According to the Information Minister, Liberia’s seat was occupied by officials of the country’s diplomatic mission during Netanyahu’s address.
“Our seat was occupied with the Deputy Chief of Mission and the U.S. sitting in a seat with others,” Piah said.
“We did not walk out.”
The clarification is significant because the walkout itself did occur. International reports from September 24 documented dozens of delegates leaving the General Assembly chamber as Netanyahu approached the podium. The Palestinian delegation had encouraged other missions to participate in the protest.
However, Piah said Liberia was not part of that action, directly challenging reports that placed the country among the delegations that departed.
The Minister said the government had also sought confirmation through diplomatic channels to establish what happened to Liberia’s representation during the speech.
“In fact, just this morning, she received a message from the Israeli Ambassador that he has confirmed with a representative at the United Nations that Liberia did not walk out,” Piah said.
“So that information is untrue.”
The government’s position therefore distinguishes between the broader walkout by numerous delegations and Liberia’s own conduct during Netanyahu’s appearance.
The reports surrounding Liberia emerged amid heightened international attention to Netanyahu’s appearance at the UN, where dozens of diplomats reportedly exited the hall as he began speaking. Netanyahu responded to the departing delegates during his address, while other representatives remained in the chamber.
The Liberian Government, however, says its representatives remained inside.
Piah’s comments are aimed at preventing Liberia’s diplomatic position from being misrepresented at a time when the country is serving on the United Nations Security Council for the 2026–2027 term.
Liberia’s participation in the UN has taken on added diplomatic importance following its election to the Security Council. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai addressed the 81st General Assembly on September 24, where he reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to multilateralism and the work of the United Nations.
The President’s UN appearance came on the same day as Netanyahu’s address, making Liberia’s reported conduct during the Israeli Prime Minister’s speech particularly sensitive.
But Piah said there should be no ambiguity about where Liberia’s representatives were when Netanyahu spoke.
“Liberia did not walk out,” he reiterated.
The Information Minister’s statement also seeks to distinguish an actual physical presence in the General Assembly Hall from reports or lists circulating after the event.
One Israeli media report published a list that included Liberia among countries reported as absent from Netanyahu’s speech. The Liberian Government has rejected that characterization, saying the country’s Deputy Chief of Mission and other officials were present.
Piah therefore urged the public to disregard what he described as inaccurate information about Liberia’s participation.
The government’s clarification does not dispute the fact that a significant number of delegations left the chamber. Rather, it disputes the assertion that Liberia was among them.
That distinction is at the heart of the government’s response.
While the walkout became one of the most visible moments of Netanyahu’s UN appearance, Liberia says its diplomatic representation remained in place throughout the address.
Piah’s intervention now places the government’s official account on record: Liberia did not participate in the walkout, and its seat in the General Assembly Hall remained occupied.
The Minister said the government considered it important to correct the report because Liberia’s conduct at major international forums carries diplomatic implications, particularly as the country currently occupies a seat on the UN Security Council. “We did not walk out,” Piah emphasized.
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