Netanyahu sharply changes plans in the US – what went wrong
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unexpectedly cut his visit to the US to just a few hours in New York, canceling a planned meeting with Elon Musk in Texas. His speech at the UN General Assembly will take place on September 24, after which he will immediately return to Israel. A meeting with US President Donald Trump was not scheduled due to time constraints in his schedule. The shortened trip is also linked to the domestic political situation in Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unexpectedly changed his travel program to the United States, sharply reducing its duration. Instead of a multi-day visit, he plans to spend only a few hours in New York, speak at the UN General Assembly, and immediately return to Israel. The original plan included a meeting between Netanyahu and American entrepreneur Elon Musk in Texas, but the prime minister canceled it. The Israeli prime minister's team had already traveled to Texas to prepare for the talks, but the decision to cancel was made by Netanyahu himself. The trip to Texas involved logistical difficulties: the plane would have needed refueling on US soil. Netanyahu plans to arrive in New York on the morning of September 24, and his speech at the UN General Assembly is scheduled for 2:00 PM local time. A separate meeting with US President Donald Trump was not scheduled. Representatives of the Israeli prime minister tried to arrange talks, but could not reach an agreement. The Trump administration explained the lack of a meeting due to time constraints: the US president is scheduled to speak at the General Assembly on September 22 and then return to Washington for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Another factor in shortening the trip could be the upcoming elections in Israel: according to an American source, the domestic political situation also influenced Netanyahu's decision.