A meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump is not included in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's New York schedule for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier efforts had been made to arrange such a meeting.
Netanyahu's visit to New York is expected to be brief and limited to a small number of meetings. Barak Seri, an Israeli military intelligence analyst and former officer, described the visit as "highly unusual, very short and almost devoid of meetings" and said Netanyahu was being isolated internationally and that Trump did not want to meet with him.
Netanyahu is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. New York time during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Anti-Netanyahu protests are expected to take place in the city during the visit. The protests are expected to condemn Israel's war in Gaza and attacks on Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank.
Israel's position in the United States under debate
Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel who is based in Tel Aviv, argued that Israel's position in the United States had suffered an "unprecedented decline." Shapiro said Netanyahu was not part of the solution to the situation and that the decline had reached an unprecedented level even among Republicans, Trump's party.
Shapiro said Trump could conclude ahead of the elections scheduled to be held in Israel on October 27 that working with another government might be easier.
Eli Ohana, a former football star and former chairman of Beitar Jerusalem, also said that the situation in Israel was "not ideal." Ohana said he avoided revealing his Israeli identity while abroad and concealed his identity while vacationing in Greece. He said Israel was going through an "abnormal period."
Situation in Gaza and the West Bank
Around 74,000 Palestinians are believed to have been killed and more than 175,000 injured in the war in Gaza. Most of those killed and injured are believed to be children and women.
About 90 percent of Gaza's civilian infrastructure is estimated to have been damaged by the destruction caused by the war, while the cost of reconstruction has been calculated at approximately $70 billion. Attacks on Palestinians and their property have also intensified in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Election timetable and cases against Netanyahu
General elections in Israel are scheduled to be held on October 27. Netanyahu has led the current government since the end of December 2022. The government is described as the most right-wing government in Israel's history.
Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases. Critics in Israel and other countries argue that he is prolonging military operations to delay court hearings.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
