Netanyahu’s New York visit reflects Israel’s growing tensions with Western countries

Israel’s tensions with Western countries because it attacked the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, and actions in the occupied West Bank, have spilled into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s visit Thursday to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Netanyahu’s scheduled meetings include no leaders from Western countries that have maintained longstanding relations with Israel, including the US.

Netanyahu was unable to arrange a meeting with US President Donald Trump, while a planned meeting with Elon Musk was canceled. His schedule does not include meetings with US political figures.

INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION

Israel’s international isolation has continued to grow after several countries, including France, the UK and Canada, recognized the State of Palestine at last year’s UN General Assembly amid Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Ahead of Oct. 27 elections, Israel moved to advance the illegal E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, where attacks by the Israeli army and Israeli settlers have intensified.

The project, which seeks to separate occupied East Jerusalem from the West Bank, and divide the territory’s north from its south, drew objections from Western countries, particularly the UK.

Some of 12 Western countries, including the UK, France and Canada, imposed sanctions on illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, while others signaled plans to do so.

In response to London’s sanctions, Tel Aviv decided to close the UK Consulate serving Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, expel British representatives from the city of Kiryat Gat and end British participation in training Palestinian Authority security forces.

It also barred 12 British nationals, most of them lawmakers, from entering Israel.

Netanyahu left Israel early Thursday for his New York visit, which is expected to last a few hours, amid tensions also reflected in Western leaders’ UN General Assembly speeches.

Israeli media reported ahead of the trip that efforts were underway to arrange meetings between Netanyahu and world leaders on the sidelines of the General Assembly, but said doing so was difficult.

The reports also noted that Netanyahu could face protests in New York, as he had in previous years.

Following the reports, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office claimed that “many world leaders requested meetings,” but only some could be accommodated because of Netanyahu’s schedule.

His announced schedule includes the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama and Ethiopia, Colombia’s vice president, and the prime ministers of Greece, Slovenia and Papua New Guinea.

It includes no meetings with leaders from the US or other Western countries.

‘HUMILIATING VISIT’

Alon Liel, a retired ambassador and former secretary at Israel’s Foreign Ministry, told Anadolu that Netanyahu’s trip was unprecedented.

“There has never been such a humiliating visit to the UN for an Israeli prime minister,” said Liel.

Liel said Israel’s international standing had deteriorated since October 2023, and argued that its future position would depend on whether the “right wing” remains in power.

“Compared with before Oct. 7, 2023, we are in a much weaker position internationally, including in the Middle East,” he said.

Liel said the recognition by Western countries of the State of Palestine last year dealt Netanyahu a greater blow than sanctions on illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

‘EVEN IN US, HE NO LONGER FEELS COMFORTABLE’

Liel argued that this year the biggest setback for Netanyahu came from Washington.

“Netanyahu can meet Argentine and Greek leaders, but he cannot meet any American politician or official,” he said. “This means not only Europeans but also Americans are avoiding him. I think this is the major blow because the only country Netanyahu can go to in the world is the US.”

Liel said Netanyahu had reached a point where “even in the US, he no longer feels comfortable,” adding that he could not land in New York or stay there overnight. Netanyahu’s plane is expected to land at a military airfield in New Jersey rather than John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Reports have cited security, logistical and protest concerns for the change.

With the US position added to the equation, Israel’s international standing had weakened further, said Liel.

“This is definitely not a normal visit. The political objections to him, the speeches against Israel at the UN and the security situation are not normal,” he said. “Even in the US, Netanyahu is acting like an unwanted person.”