Isolated Benjamin Netanyahu Heads to UN General Assembly Amid Mounting International Criticism and Strained US Relations

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday as his country faces unprecedented international criticism, with just over a month remaining before the general election. The Middle East remains at the top of US President Donald Trump’s agenda at the annual gathering of world leaders in New York, as ongoing hostilities involving Iran and Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to drive up global oil prices and pose a significant threat to his administration ahead of the November midterm elections. Despite the high stakes, Israeli media reports indicate there are still no plans for Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu to meet.

Mr Netanyahu has stated that he will use the US trip to “tell the truth” about Israel’s military actions against Palestinians and to address allegations made by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who labeled him a “war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people” during a CNN interview this week. The apparent absence of a scheduled meeting with Mr Trump is a significant blow to Mr Netanyahu, who has historically boasted about having the most access to US presidents and extensive experience managing them—a key element of his political sales pitch to voters across numerous campaigns.

Following his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Mr Trump returned to Washington after meeting with a delegation of leaders from Gulf and Arab states to discuss the Iran war, alongside holding discussions with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. During their meeting, Mr Trump did not defend Israel when Mr Burnham defended his country’s sanctions against illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, noting only that he was unaware of the move. This marked a stark departure from the military co-ordination and unity trumpeted by the US and Israel when the Iran war launched in late February.

According to a Pew Research Centre survey published in July, 62 per cent of US adults now view the Israeli government unfavourably, a sharp increase from 43 per cent in 2022. Furthermore, a recent CNN poll revealed that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe their country is not winning the Iran war. Despite facing a lack of diplomatic allies, Israeli officials have maintained an aggressive stance at the UN General Assembly. On Monday, they criticized British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband over a video concerning the UK’s stricter line on Israel regarding Gaza and the occupied West Bank. On Wednesday, Mr Saar targeted Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen over his remarks concerning the West Bank.

“Someone who represents a country whose past is bound up with the gravest crimes against humanity and the Jewish people dares to level a false accusation against the Jewish state, which is still fighting a jihadist axis that relentlessly tries to eliminate it,” Mr Saar wrote in a post on X. Israel’s Foreign Ministry also criticized King Abdullah of Jordan for his UNGA remarks addressing the conditions for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Even before arriving in New York, Mr Netanyahu condemned French President Emmanuel Macron for telling the General Assembly that “Hamas was never very active in the West Bank,” calling the comments a “grotesque absurdity.”

This ongoing backlash over Israel's treatment of Palestinians highlights another difficult hurdle for Mr Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s Board of Peace is reportedly set to unveil a $2.45 billion recovery plan for Gaza on Wednesday following a devastating two-year war between Hamas and Israel. Although the board was created and backed by Mr Trump, Israeli leaders have increasingly spoken out against its proposals. The UN General Assembly remains a familiar platform for Mr Netanyahu, whose speeches are frequently referenced, particularly regarding Iran. Facing unprecedented isolation, he will need to rely on all of his political experience to convey his message effectively, even to traditional allies.