Netanyahu heads to UN General Assembly as Israel faces unprecedented criticism

UNITED NATIONS: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be the first speaker at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, arriving under what aides describe as “extraordinary circumstances” during one of Israel’s most difficult weeks on the world stage.

Netanyahu’s visit comes just days after Western countries announced recognition of a Palestinian state at a French-Saudi summit in New York, following similar moves by Britain, Canada and Australia. The diplomatic wave underscores the deepening international criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s flight to New York was forced to reroute around countries that refused to allow overflight, due in part to International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued against him.

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Israeli officials told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu’s speech is expected to be combative, aiming to push back against the growing wave of diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN, and to counter investigations and resolutions accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza.

“The speech will be tough,” one official source told Fox News Digital. “Israel needs to halt the momentum against it and remind the world who started this war on October 7.”

True to his reputation for using props in U.N. speeches, Netanyahu’s communications team has already launched a high-profile campaign in New York. Massive billboards and trucks around the U.N. headquarters and Times Square read “Remember October 7,” and feature a QR code linking to a website, accessible only outside Israel, documenting the Hamas atrocities.

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Officials said the goal is to remind world leaders and the public of the horrors committed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the plight of the 48 hostages still held in Gaza.

On the sidelines, Netanyahu is slated to meet with a series of allied leaders, though the spotlight will be on his much-anticipated session with President Donald Trump — the fourth between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House.

According to Israeli reports, Netanyahu has voiced concerns over parts of Trump’s newly unveiled 21-point Gaza peace plan, presented to Arab leaders earlier this week, and will press for changes.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump said he believed progress was being made on a broader agreement involving Israel, hostages, and Arab states.

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“I had a great meeting with the leaders of that area of that region … I think we’re close to getting some kind of a deal done. We want to get the hostages back. I have to get the hostages back,” Trump said.

Later, Trump added: “We will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope. I will not allow it. It’s not gonna happen… There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now. OK?”

European diplomats attending the U.N. General Assembly told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu’s presence is now seen as an obstacle rather than a solution.

“Bibi is not part of the solution today, he is part of the problem,” one senior European official told Fox News Digital on background. “The expectation from President Trump is to pressure him to end the war and move toward an agreement that will enable the region’s reconstruction. Trump is the only who can influence Netanyahu.”

At home, Netanyahu faces pressure from his right-wing coalition to declare sovereignty over parts of the West Bank. But Trump is also under pressure from Arab states, who have warned against allowing annexation — a move they say could jeopardize the Abraham Accords.