The UN General Assembly saw a rare scene: when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium, dozens of delegates stood up and left the hall. Among the few who stayed in their seats was the Serbian delegation. Footage of Aleksandar Vucic's reaction as the hall emptied immediately started doing the rounds on social media.

The walkout wasn't spontaneous. The Palestinian delegation had earlier sent a note to other missions proposing they join it. Outside, in front of the UN building in New York, a protest was under way, and New York police detained actresses Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder of the series "Hacks".

Netanyahu wasn't thrown. The walkout drew jeers and whistles in the hall, while his team stood and applauded. He addressed those who remained: "If there are any more moral cowards in this hall who haven't left, please do so now." Then he ran through the familiar repertoire: the Israeli army is "the most moral army in the world", the genocide accusations are lies, and those spreading them should "be ashamed" - including New York's new mayor, Mamdani, whom he told that since his election, many Jews in New York no longer feel safe.

Serbia staying seated isn't an accident that protocol can explain. Relations between Belgrade and Israel are getting ever closer, and they include building a factory in Serbia to produce Israeli drones. When a deal like that is on the table, getting up from your chair is no longer just a gesture. Did Vucic stay seated out of conviction - or because the factory is already being built?

For years Belgrade has played at several tables at once: Brussels, Moscow, Beijing. Now Israel is clearly on that list too. The Balkans learned long ago that small states in big halls rarely vote with their hearts, and far more often with their accounts.

In a hall where half the world got up and walked out, Serbia stayed put. The question is what others see when they watch that footage - principle, or investment?