Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, made an unusually brief trip to the United States on September 24, 2023, lasting less than eight hours. This trip was made to participate in the United Nations General Assembly and clearly indicates significant changes in Israel-U.S. relations. Compared to his week-long trip last year, which included a meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump, this trip was notably shorter and more limited.
Details of Netanyahu's Short Trip
Netanyahu is set to meet with nine world leaders during this trip, five of whom are from Latin American countries. Israel is seeking to strengthen its relations with these countries as its ties with traditional European partners are under pressure due to the Gaza war and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. However, Netanyahu's office has announced that no meetings with U.S. officials are scheduled for this trip.
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Political and Electoral Impacts
Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to Washington, noted that he cannot recall a time when an Israeli prime minister visited the United States without meeting the president. He described this as a blow to Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli general elections on October 27, 2023. Netanyahu had met with Trump eight times during his presidency, with their last meeting occurring in July 2023. Oren stated, "This trip is somewhat of a campaign speech. It would have been better if this campaign speech had been accompanied by a meeting with the president or another world leader, but it seems that is not the case."
Israel's Diplomatic Challenges
Polls indicate that Netanyahu may face defeat in the upcoming elections, as his credibility in the security domain has been affected by the October 7, 2023, attacks by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. However, he has not been completely sidelined from the competition. Netanyahu's office stated that many world leaders expressed a desire to meet with him during this trip, but due to a tight schedule and the need to return before the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, only some were able to meet.
Public support for Israel in the United States, especially among Democrats, has declined due to the Gaza war. Since the beginning of its war in Gaza following the October 7 attacks, Israel has faced deeper diplomatic isolation, and recently countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Canada, which were once staunch supporters of Israel, have imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which has elicited a weak response from Washington.
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