Netanyahu Shortens US Trip Amid Protests and Security Warnings

New York — Israeli media report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cut his upcoming New York visit down to just a few hours and will not stay overnight. Channel 13 reported that security officials advised against extending his US stay following recent high-level assessments, several of which the prime minister attended himself. The briefings included specific intelligence warnings, though officials did not disclose the nature of the threats.
Under the revised schedule, Netanyahu will depart Israel late Wednesday, arrive in New York Thursday morning, address the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, and return to Israel the same day without staying overnight.
The rapid-fire visit coincides with large-scale protests expected across New York over Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza, finding “reasonable grounds” to hold them criminally responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
The trip will not include a meeting with President Trump, despite earlier Israeli diplomatic efforts to arrange bilateral talks. A US official confirmed Netanyahu is not among the foreign dignitaries on Trump’s meeting schedule. A planned stopover in Texas to meet businessman Elon Musk was also abruptly cancelled, even though an Israeli advance security team had already arrived on site.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said she was looking into whether Netanyahu — who has an international arrest warrant against him — would fly through Canadian airspace on Thursday. Anand did not say whether Canada considers Netanyahu a war criminal, but said Canada’s position is to respect international court rulings. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had said last October that Netanyahu would be arrested if he entered Canada.