Netanyahu to Address UN Amid Global Condemnation and Local Protests

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, preparing to counter widespread international condemnation regarding Israel’s military campaigns in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. The Israeli leader arrived in New York early Thursday morning for what is expected to be an unusually abbreviated stay.

Netanyahu is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. Eastern time before departing shortly after. His office indicated the trip will be brief due to the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which begins Friday evening. This short visit contrasts with typical U.N. General Assembly sessions, where world leaders often engage in extensive bilateral meetings. While Netanyahu plans to meet with heads of state from Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama, and Ethiopia, as well as vice presidential and prime ministerial officials from Colombia, Greece, Slovenia, and Papua New Guinea, he is not expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The address comes amid harsh rhetoric from several European and Middle Eastern leaders. On Wednesday, representatives from France, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Syria, Qatar, and Turkey used their podium time to denounce Israeli policies. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the scale of Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks as unjustified, citing high civilian casualties and insufficient aid delivery. French President Emmanuel Macron also drew criticism from Jerusalem after accusing Israel of daily violations in the West Bank, a claim Netanyahu dismissed as a “grotesque absurdity” by pointing to recent fatal attacks attributed to Hamas militants.

Beyond diplomatic rebukes, Netanyahu faces direct opposition from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The mayor has labeled Netanyahu a “war criminal” and previously threatened to have the prime minister detained under an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. Although Mamdani acknowledged that local authorities lacked the jurisdiction to arrest Netanyahu, he urged federal officials to act and defended the right of New Yorkers to protest. In response, Netanyahu released a video vowing to expose what he characterized as the mayor’s support for Hamas and accusing him of inciting unrest against Jewish communities in New York.

Political analysts suggest the prime minister intends to leverage the global criticism to showcase his diplomatic resilience ahead of tightly contested elections in October. David Makovsky, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted that Netanyahu is likely to frame the U.N. addresses as evidence of selective moral outrage by foreign leaders, using the platform to rally domestic support.

During his speech, Netanyahu is expected to focus heavily on the threat posed by Iran and to justify ongoing military operations in Gaza and Syria. He has historically used these annual addresses to reveal intelligence regarding Iran’s nuclear program and has hinted at further surprises. Meanwhile, outside the U.N. headquarters, groups including the anti-Zionist sect Neturei Karta and supporters of the “No More Excuses Rally Against Antisemitism” are expected to demonstrate, reflecting the deep divisions surrounding the conflict.