Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart Wednesday for a brief visit to the United States to address the annual session of the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu will arrive in the United States only on Thursday morning, with his speech scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. New York time (9 p.m. Israel time).
In an unprecedented move, Netanyahu will spend only a few hours in New York, will not stay overnight and will depart for Israel that evening. Netanyahu will not take journalists with him on the plane.
'Surprises' expected in speech on Iran. Netanyahu at the UN
(Photo: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)
Netanyahu is expected to land aboard the Wing of Zion at a military airfield in New Jersey or at Newark Liberty International Airport, rather than at JFK Airport. The decision is due to difficulties coordinating with U.S. authorities as well as concerns that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani could order the Wing of Zion to leave the airport immediately rather than remain there until Netanyahu returns. It was therefore decided that the plane would land in New Jersey.
Officials familiar with the matter believe Netanyahu decided to dramatically shorten his visit to New York and not stay overnight because of concerns about protests.
Netanyahu has already canceled a planned stop in Texas, where he had intended to meet Elon Musk. An Israeli official, referring to the cancellation of the meeting with Musk, said: “There were coordination challenges, both because of the need for a refueling stop and because the Americans are less keen on last-minute arrangements.”
As previously reported, Netanyahu will not meet U.S. President Donald Trump during the visit and no other meetings in the city have yet been scheduled for him.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House
(Photo: AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The U.S. president is expected to meet New York City Mayor Mamdani on Tuesday evening at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence. The meeting will be closed to the media. Trump, who has met the prime minister several times since returning to the White House, is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. Immediately afterward, however, he is expected to return to Washington to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
As for Netanyahu, the prime minister is likely to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Efforts are also underway to arrange meetings with foreign leaders who will be in the city, but his tight schedule has made coordinating such meetings particularly difficult. A U.S. administration official said Netanyahu’s presence in the United States would be limited because of the approaching elections in Israel.
Netanyahu’s speech will focus on the Iranian threat, and officials close to the prime minister say it is expected to include “surprises.”
Netanyahu’s speech is aimed first and foremost at the Israeli public, giving him valuable airtime to address Israelis during prime time. Israel’s delegation to the UN is preparing for possible disruptions, including heckling or a coordinated walkout by representatives of numerous countries, as occurred last year.