Double shock for Israel: Furious Trump refuses to meet humiliated Netanyahu | Gravitas
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Protesters hold images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump wearing a "Board of Butchers" sign during a demonstration on the day of Netanyahu's address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, on September 24, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners. Protesters called out Israel’s war in Gaza and questioned why Netanyahu had been allowed to address the UN.
Over 73,000 killed in Gaza, close to 9,000 killed in Lebanon and countless more killed in Iran. These are not merely numbers, but a direct outcome of Israel’s aggression on multiple fronts since the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
During his address at the UN General Assembly, the Israeli prime minister chose to brazen it out yet again. But right at the outset of his address, delegates from multiple countries walked out of the hall as a mark of protest. This left a large number of empty seats in the hall.
Accusing his critics of spreading what he described as lies about Israel, he referred to the delegates walking out as “moral cowards”.
Now, at the time when Netanyahu was speaking at the UNGA, another spectacle was unfolding outside the UN headquarters.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners. Protesters called out Israel’s war in Gaza and questioned why Netanyahu had been allowed to address the UN. Others stressed that opposition to the Israeli government should not be equated with hostility towards Jewish people.
Facing a tough battle in the Israeli election slated for October, Netanyahu used this forum to try and defend what he described as Israel’s seven-front war. Stating that attacking Iran was one of the easiest decisions he has made, the Israeli PM dismissed genocide allegations in Gaza as the “greatest lie of the century”.
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He also launched a tirade at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Netanyahu also held up a pager while lauding IDF’s actions in Lebanon against Hezbollah. This was a reference to Israel’s attack on September 17, 2024, when it remotely detonated hundreds of pagers that had been distributed to Hezbollah fighters.
At least 12 people were killed in this attack, whereas over 3,000 others were injured.
The Turkish President Recep Erdogan was also at the receiving end of Netanyahu’s ire. Calling him a tyrant, he accused Turkiye of becoming a super spreader of anti-Semitic lies and harbouring Hamas leaders. Ankara hit back, calling these allegations baseless and malicious.
Netanyahu raked up the colonial past of UK and France to slam their recent move to ban import of all goods produced in West Bank’s Israeli settlements.
Meanwhile, about hundred protesters, including US actress Susan Sarandon, were detained by the New York police for staging a sit-in to demand an end to US arms supplies to Israel.
This comes in the wake of the Trump administration reportedly recently approving the sale of 40,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and other munition to Israel, worth 2.8 billion dollars.
But you see, all is not well between Trump and Netanyahu. Far from it.
In fact, things have reached a point where Netanyahu could not get a meeting with US President Donald Trump, unlike last year, in another setback for the Israeli prime minister.
Reports attributed this to Trump’s extreme frustration with Netanyahu, who had promised a quick and easy war against Iran.
In fact, very significantly, Netanyahu’s growing isolation was also referred to by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Speaking at a conference a few days earlier, Kushner claimed that US had used global pressure on Israel following its strike on Qatar last year, to push a reluctant Netanyahu to accept the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Remember, in the New Delhi declaration, BRICS supported the creation of an independent state of Palestine, comprising the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
It also expressed deep concern over continued violence in Gaza despite the ceasefire and urged Israel to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.
Also, what do the Israelis feel about Netanyahu’s UNGA address?
It’s a mixed bag.
While some praised his defence of Israel’s policies, others contended that his speech was meant for the domestic audience ahead of polls.
As Netanyahu continues to face flak, this is bad news for the leader, coming right ahead of the election, as he seeks a record seventh term as PM.