Netanyahu will arrive at the UN General Assembly in New York - but what will he do first in the western US?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will land in the US next week for a visit that includes a stopover in Texas before the UN General Assembly in New York. It is not yet clear if he will meet with President Trump, due to a tight schedule that includes a summit with the President of China. An advance team is already in Texas preparing for the visit, while efforts are being made to coordinate a meeting with Elon Musk.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to leave Israel next week for a visit to the United States, which will begin with a stop in Texas before arriving at the UN General Assembly in New York. An advance team is already in Texas examining preparations for the visit, while efforts are being made to coordinate a meeting with Elon Musk, which may include a visit to SpaceX facilities. The meeting with Musk is not yet on the official schedule. The stay in Texas will make Thursday particularly crowded: Netanyahu is expected to leave in the morning for the East Coast and arrive in New York on the day he is scheduled to address the Assembly, leaving him very little time for additional diplomatic meetings in the city. The main issue that remains open is the possibility of a meeting with President Donald Trump. Trump's schedule is tight: on Wednesday he is expected to return to Washington to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at Andrews Air Force Base, and the following day a Trump-Xi summit is expected. This schedule leaves a very narrow window for a possible meeting with Netanyahu. If the contacts with Trump do not materialize, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will likely be the highest-ranking American official to meet with Netanyahu. Their conversation is expected to focus mainly on Iran, the continuation of the campaign, developments in Lebanon, relations with Gulf states, and other regional issues. The Iranian issue is expected to take center stage in the talks. Trump recently said he is approaching a significant decision regarding the continuation of the campaign against Tehran. The visit comes against the backdrop of tense relations between Netanyahu and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has previously spoken harshly against Netanyahu and raised the possibility of acting on the basis of the International Criminal Court arrest warrant. The landing location of the "Wing of Zion" aircraft is also under consideration, with one option being landing in Newark, New Jersey instead of JFK.