Netanyahu headed to UN General Assembly next month

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to the United States on September 29 to participate in the United Nations General Assembly.

Netanyahu is expected to speak to the gathering of world leaders the following day.

The Prime Minister’s Office declined to indicate on Thursday whether Netanyahu would hold any meetings with American leaders. Last year’s General Assembly took place just weeks before the US presidential election, and some Republican activists criticized the Obama administration for allegedly declining to meet with the Israeli premier when he visited the US. Officially, the administration said it was not possible to arrange a meeting, which was requested by Netanyahu, because of scheduling difficulties.

With peace talks now underway with the Palestinians, there is speculation that the General Assembly, expected to feature Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and other regional leaders, may see summit meetings on the talks hosted by US officials.

New Iranian President Hasan Rouhani is expected to attend the GA as well, where he might for the first time deliver his purportedly moderate message to the world. This could pose a formidable challenge to Netanyahu, who is likely to repeat his warnings of the dangers of a nuclear Iran.

Netanyahu delivered a memorable speech at the gathering last year, using a cartoon drawing of a bomb to argue that world leaders should set “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear program in order to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.