Netanyahu’s UN address comes as Israel nears election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, as Israel approaches a late-October election and faces international criticism over the war in Gaza. The supplied reports previewed the speech but did not establish what Netanyahu ultimately said or what effect it had at home or abroad. The address came at a politically consequential moment for Netanyahu, whose Likud party and governing coalition were reported to be trailing in polls. Analysts said the UN appearance could help him present himself to Israeli voters as the country’s leading voice internationally. Former Israeli official Alon Pinkas described the speech as an opportunity for Netanyahu to appear to Israelis to be standing up to the world. Polling details reported in the coverage were limited. One account said Gadi Eisenkot, a centrist former military chief and Netanyahu’s main rival, was ahead of him in surveys asking who was suitable to serve as prime minister. It also said the opposition could need backing from predominantly Arab parties to form a government.