Netanyahu Cuts New York Stay Short as Anti-Israel Protests Expected

NEW YORK: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply shortened his visit to New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, limiting his stay in the United States to only a few hours after Israeli security officials issued warnings against an overnight stay.

According to Israeli media reports, including Channel 13, Netanyahu is scheduled to leave Israel late Wednesday, arrive in New York early Thursday and address the UN General Assembly at around 2pm New York time, before returning to Israel the same evening.

The unusually short itinerary follows security discussions involving Israeli officials, during which Netanyahu was advised not to remain in the United States overnight. The specific nature of the intelligence warnings has not been publicly disclosed.

Texas Visit and Musk Meeting Cancelled

The revised schedule has also led to the cancellation of a planned visit to Texas and a meeting with businessman Elon Musk.

According to media reports, an Israeli advance team had already travelled to Texas to make preparations for the planned meeting before the visit was cancelled.

Netanyahu is also not scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump during the visit. US officials have cited scheduling difficulties, with Netanyahu not included among the leaders currently scheduled to meet Trump on the sidelines of the UN gathering.

Tensions With New York Mayor

Netanyahu’s brief visit comes amid heightened political tensions and expectations of demonstrations in New York over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and its policies toward the Palestinians.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and has called for enforcement of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him. Mamdani has also acknowledged that New York City authorities do not have the legal power to enforce the warrant themselves.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and said he would use his UN address to defend Israel and confront criticism of its military actions.

ICC Arrest Warrant Remains a Major Issue

The diplomatic tensions are also taking place against the backdrop of the International Criminal Court’s November 2024 arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The ICC said its Pre-Trial Chamber issued the warrants after finding reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant bore criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.

The United States rejected the ICC decision at the time, with a White House National Security Council spokesperson saying Washington fundamentally rejected the court’s decision.

Viral UN Walkout Video Is From 2025

Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media showing diplomats leaving the UN General Assembly during Netanyahu’s speech is not from the current 81st session.

Spanish public broadcaster RTVE’s verification service found that the footage was recorded on September 26, 2025, during Netanyahu’s address to the 80th UN General Assembly.

Contemporary reports from 2025 also documented diplomats walking out of the General Assembly hall as Netanyahu approached the podium.

The clarification is significant because the old footage has been recirculated online as if it showed events during Netanyahu’s current UN visit.

Netanyahu’s Brief Visit Draws International Attention

Netanyahu’s decision to limit his New York stay to only a few hours, alongside the cancellation of his Texas stop and the absence of a scheduled meeting with Trump, has drawn considerable attention during the UN General Assembly.

His visit is taking place amid continuing international debate over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the ICC arrest warrant and growing diplomatic criticism.