Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is anticipated to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday afternoon and return to Israel on Friday, after being slated to speak on Friday and spend the Jewish Sabbath in New York. Picture Courtesy: The Timea of Israel
(The Post News)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to deliver his address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday and remain in New York for the Jewish Sabbath; however, his address has been moved to Thursday afternoon, allowing him to return to Israel on Friday.
Netanyahu’s trip to the United States of America (USA) has been cut short due to a serious escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, with reports indicating that on Tuesday, a senior Hezbollah leader was among the six individuals killed in an Israeli airstrike. Meanwhile, Netanyahu addressed a video message to the people of Lebanon, encouraging them to flee their residential areas and return once Israel has completed its operation.
He also assured the Lebanese people that Israel’s war is not with them but with Hezbollah, which has been using them as human shields, claiming that Hezbollah planted rockets in Lebanese homes and missiles in their garages, the same rockets and missiles used to strike Israeli cities and people. He added that they are taking out these weapons to protect the people of Israel against Hezbollah attacks.
Netanyahu has a pending warrant of arrest, which has raised serious concerns about his reputation and his eligibility to address the UNGA. The warrant of arrest was issued on May 20, 2024, by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for him and the Israel Minister of Defence, together with three Hamas leaders, over actions taken during the Israeli-Hamas war. When the ICC announced that it had issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, it declared that it discovered evidence that he allegedly committed “war crimes and crimes against humanity” on Palestinian land, specifically the Gaza strip, begging October 8, 2023.
According to an article written by Andrew Roth on The Guardian, it is alleged that the ICC judges are close to approving a warrant that could accuse Netanyahu of war crimes. Roth further stated that if the ICC panel of judges makes a surprising judgment this week and charges him with war crimes in Gaza, it will further humiliate him as he will transition from “pariah to international fugitive.”
As the UN General Debate commenced, Israel’s war on Gaza was a major topic of discussion, with Israel and Palestine, as well as the latest developments in Lebanon, looming large. Among the most vocal critics of Israel’s conduct were Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, Colombia, South Africa, and the Maldives.
The expectation of his address is primarily founded in how he will respond to what has been said by leaders of other countries about him and Israel. There is eagerness to see if he is calling for peace or if it is just another event of an extended history of war.
His speech will establish if he is for peace or propaganda, since it is mostly expected to tackle the spread of peace in the Middle East, with an emphasis on potential breakthroughs with Saudi Arabia, as previously intimated. Having said that, there is however a huge difference between his words of peace and the actual situation on the ground, especially considering the recent military activities and the ongoing confrontation with Gaza and Hezbollah.
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