Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to deliver a message at the United Nations on Friday, September 26, opposing Palestinian statehood.
He faces diplomatic pressure from the U.S. president, Donald Trump, who is promoting his own peace deal for Gaza.
Earlier this week, Trump presented a “21-point plan for peace in the Mideast and Gaza” during a meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders. This peace plan aims to address Israeli and regional concerns.
Netanyahu is set to speak at the United Nations General Assembly just days after France, Britain, and several other Western powers took the step of recognizing a Palestinian state, a move Netanyahu—as the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history—has long rejected.
Trump has cautioned against annexation while promoting a Gaza peace plan that aims to disarm the terrorist organization Hamas, whose brutal October 7 pogrom prompted Israel’s response. The Hamas-led attack in 2023 claimed approximately 1,200 lives, mostly civilians, and resulted in 251 hostages being taken to Gaza–48 of whom remain in captivity.
Trump told reporters at the White House
I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank… No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen.
On Thursday, September 25, Trump held a phone call with Netanyahu, who is scheduled to visit Washington on Monday.
Mahmoud Abbas—head of the Palestinian Authority (PA)—addressed world leaders on Thursday, insisting that following their attack on Israel Hamas terrorists will have no role in governing Gaza. He stressed that the October 7 Hamas-led attacks do not represent the Palestinian people, and affirmed that the PA rejects such violence.
