NEW YORK — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a brief visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly this week without meeting U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting tensions between the two allies as they differ over the war with Iran and Israel faces growing international criticism over Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu arrived in New York on Thursday, Sept. 24, and planned to meet with only a handful of world leaders before addressing the U.N. General Assembly. Trump had already left New York after meeting with leaders from several countries on Tuesday and returning to Washington.
The two leaders began the year presenting a united front as the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran. As the conflict continued, however, Trump and Netanyahu diverged over how to conduct the war, straining their relationship.
Netanyahu also faced international criticism over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and violence from Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank.
The limited schedule stood in contrast to Netanyahu’s previous visits to New York, when he held meetings with several prominent leaders.
Trump and Netanyahu have met seven times since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, but only once since the war with Iran began.
“It’s significant of a deeper rift,” former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren said of Netanyahu’s limited itinerary.
Natan Sachs, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, called the lack of a meeting with Trump a major missed opportunity for Netanyahu.
The Israeli prime minister nevertheless used his U.N. speech to deliver a forceful defense of Israel and criticize its opponents.
Scores of diplomats walked out as Netanyahu took the stage Thursday. Netanyahu told those who remained that they should leave as well if they lacked the courage to hear his remarks, then criticized accusations that Israel had committed genocide and war crimes in Gaza.
Netanyahu also accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of spreading falsehoods about Israel and putting Jewish New Yorkers at risk. Mamdani has called for Netanyahu’s arrest.
Netanyahu often uses visual aids and props during his speeches, and his address appeared aimed in part at Israeli voters ahead of the country’s October election. Supporters in the U.N. chamber repeatedly cheered during his remarks.
Former Israeli ambassador Michael Oren said Netanyahu timed the speech so Israeli audiences could watch it during primetime.
Other analysts said the short diplomatic itinerary could affect Netanyahu’s standing at home.
Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations and professor at Bar-Ilan and Reichman universities, said the trip exposed Netanyahu’s diplomatic difficulties, particularly his inability to secure a meeting with Trump.
“Israel cannot survive without the United States,” Gilboa said.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has also criticized Israeli settlers who attack Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Huckabee recently referred to the attackers as “terrorists,” an unusually strong characterization for a U.S. ambassador.
Trump met with leaders from Arab countries and officials from Denmark, Japan, Greenland, Ukraine and Venezuela during his New York visit Tuesday. He then returned to Washington to prepare for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit.
Netanyahu’s office said many world leaders requested meetings with the Israeli prime minister during his visit. The office said Netanyahu limited his schedule because he needed to return to Israel before the Jewish holiday of Sukkot began at sundown Friday.
His scheduled meetings included leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama, Ethiopia, Greece, Slovenia and Papua New Guinea.
