Global backlash at UN underscores Israel’s deepening isolation

NEW YORK

This week’s United Nations General Assembly has put Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation into sharper focus, as leaders from across the world have used the annual gathering to denounce the Israeli government’s conduct in the Middle East, with Gaza at the center of criticism.

Scores of heads of state and government have converged on New York for the high-level session, where the staggering death toll in the Gaza Strip has emerged as a recurring theme despite a ceasefire reached in late 2025, after nearly two years of war.

Across addresses from different regions, Israel has faced condemnation not only over its military campaign in Gaza, but also over its military operations and occupation in southern Lebanon and a sharp escalation in settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez were among the leaders to deliver some of the most pointed rebukes.

“Are we simply to stand by and watch this spectacle that should shame us all?” Macron asked in his address.

The leaders of the United Kingdom, Iran, Brazil, Jordan , Syria and Qatar were also among those to criticize Israel, adding to the growing chorus of international opposition voiced from the General Assembly floor.

It is against this backdrop that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium later on Sept. 24, facing an increasingly difficult diplomatic environment as he seeks to defend Israel’s policies before an international audience.

Netanyahu’s appearance comes at a particularly consequential juncture, both for his political career ahead of the Oct. 27 elections and for Israel’s increasingly strained relationship with the United Nations.

His trip to New York was expected to be unusually brief: He arrived on Sept. 24, addressed the General Assembly and was expected return to Israel the same evening, spending only about six hours on U.S. soil.

Unlike previous U.N. visits, his schedule contains few high-level meetings. Netanyahu is not due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

His European engagements are similarly limited, with meetings expected only with the leaders of Greece and Slovenia. The remainder of his scheduled talks are largely with leaders of countries that have traditionally maintained close ties with Israel, including Argentina and Ethiopia.

His appearance is also likely to be met with opposition both inside and outside the U.N. General Assembly.

Diplomats from a number of countries are expected to leave the chamber during his speech, in a repeat of walkouts that have accompanied his previous appearances at the United Nations over the past two years.

Protests are expected both inside the U.N. General Assembly hall and on the streets of New York City.