Israel is preparing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24 amid concerns that large anti-Israel demonstrations will accompany his visit. There are also fears of provocations during Netanyahu’s address to the General Assembly, including mass walkouts by delegations, loud boos and the display of Palestinian flags or signs, despite such displays being prohibited during leaders’ speeches at the assembly.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called for protests against Netanyahu, and a large demonstration is already planned outside the UN headquarters during the speech. The New York Police Department is preparing to deploy significant forces ahead of the visit, with protests expected outside Netanyahu’s hotel. At the same time, the Jewish community is preparing to hold demonstrations in support of Israel.
77 countries boycotted Netanyahu's last speech at the UN
(Photo: Angela Weiss / AFP)
Netanyahu is expected to arrive in New York on September 23, with his speech scheduled for the following day between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Israel time. The visit will be relatively brief, and it is not yet known whether Netanyahu will hold meetings during his stay. He is scheduled to depart for Israel no later than Thursday night so that he can return before the start of the Sukkot holiday the following day.
Netanyahu’s visit to the UN comes as Israel is at an unprecedented diplomatic low. The prime minister is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court in The Hague and, in practice, can visit only the United States. Despite this, the trip is important to Netanyahu because it comes in the midst of an election campaign. The prime minister will receive valuable television exposure and an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities as a leader on the world stage.
But the visit will also expose Netanyahu’s weakness. He is not expected to hold many meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly because leaders are not lining up to meet with him, and because the visit is relatively short as he must return to Israel before the holiday.
The Israeli delegation tried to move the speech to the morning hours in New York, but the UN Secretariat allocated him only an afternoon slot, which will already be after prime time in Israel. Netanyahu would have preferred to time the speech for the 8 p.m. evening news broadcasts, but that will no longer be possible.
Netanyahu’s previous UN speech, in September 2025, was accompanied by boos and a mass walkout by ambassadors before it began. Seventy-seven countries and delegations boycotted the address, with some choosing not to attend from the outset.