Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the United States for this week’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He’ll address pressing humanitarian issues in Israel and the unfolding war in Gaza. Since taking office in December, Netanyahu has signed onto a controversial plan to expand West Bank settlements. This decision has attracted widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally. As a nod to the heightened tensions, Netanyahu has taken an unprecedented flight path to Europe. Recent news reports indicate that he is fleeing the threat of arrest on war crimes charges.
Netanyahu’s address during the General Debate at the UNGA began with a strong emphasis on Israel’s military operations against Iran and its proxies in the Middle East. As he described it, “Over the past year, we’ve pounded the Houthis, including yesterday. We decimated the core of the Hamas terror factory. We destroyed Hezbollah, killing most of its leadership and most of its pre-war weapons stockpile. His comments were meant to support Israel’s military posture in light of continuing allegations of human rights abuses in Gaza.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has been meeting regularly and actively with U.S. officials. They are already proposing some vague, transitional authority to control Gaza after a ceasefire. He was one of the few Palestinians at a recent White House summit aimed at envisioning Gaza’s future. This has been an area of past discussion with Trump for him—specifically post-conflict plans for the region.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached horrific levels, with death tolls related to hunger and malnutrition already starting to be reported. With increased international pressure, leaders and activists alike are calling out Israel’s actions. Ghazi Hamad, a high-level Palestinian political and security figure, emphasized the importance of October 7th. This is a signal of the legitimacy, “he said, “if you look at the United Nations General Assembly from yesterday, about 194 members saw the atrocities and brutality of Israel, and they all condemned pieces of it. We’ve waited for this moment for 77 years.
In sharp opposition to Hamad’s remarks, Netanyahu’s government has been widely criticized for its aggression and policies in the ongoing war. Opposition figures have called for greater accountability. Yair Lapid remarked, “What’s needed is to place loudspeakers at the UN so that Netanyahu finally hears the cries of the hostages.” This statement emphasizes the increasing realization among some leadership that a two-state solution is not the priority needed when faced with a significant humanitarian crisis.
Activists have raised concerns about Netanyahu’s commitment to peace efforts, especially in light of his recent settlement expansion plan. One activist stated, “Netanyahu, my Matan and other hostages may hear you today. Any sentence other than ‘I came to the U.S. to sign a deal that brings you all home’ amounts to psychological abuse for them,” highlighting fears about the impact of prolonged conflict on those affected.
Netanyahu’s abominable actions have sparked a necessary – if too-long delayed – debate. There’s no way Israel would allow the annexation of the West Bank at this point, he claims. This stance is consistent with what Trump promised during their pre-UNGA negotiations.
Netanyahu isn’t the only one preparing for controversial discussions at the UN. At the same time, he’s being flayed alive from both ends of the battlefield. The world is with us as we see an avalanche of violence and a cry for peace and humanitarian relief moving toward an avalanche.
