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he United Nations 80th General Assembly should have been the stage to discuss future of peace in the age of artificial intelligence. Sadly, it turned out to be one of the most divisive sessions dominated by Palestine and not Israel. The gathering proved that Palestine can’t be brushed aside as an idea, even if you have a world power at your back.
Not many member states were eager to listen to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26, not least Hamas—the ‘enemy’ he has been obsessed with for the last two years. He tried his best though to address Hamas directly, amid a boycott of his speech. The biased Western media counted the boycotters in ‘dozens,’ even as Netanyahu spoke to an almost empty United Nations General Assembly Hall, after diplomats from Arab and Muslim countries walked out along with counterparts from several African and some European countries.
Netanyahu’s rather hopeless idea to play out his UNGA rant via huge speakers in Gaza, and apparently landing directly on the phones of people in the territory, flopped as well. The Israeli leader claimed that his intelligence had hacked cell phones across Gaza and used them to play his speech. However, he had nothing new to tell the world or Hamas. He only demanded (for the umpteenth time) the release of the remaining hostages “now.”
Israel claims to be one of the world’s biggest technological forces as far as military use is concerned. It is fully backed by even mightier US. We have seen some of their gimmicks—exploding pagers, for instance. So why, despite their military muscle and technical superiority, have they failed to secure the release of the remaining hostages? How can they achieve the even more ambitious target of eliminating Hamas?
Of the 48 hostages left in Gaza, Netanyahu says 20 may be still alive. Despite being focused on a 41-kilometre stretch of land for two years, his high-tech drones and well-armed ground forces have been unable to get the hostages released. He has said that he will not rest until all hostages have been brought home.
The lapel of the Israeli leader’s suit carried a large white badge displaying a QR code. He encouraged people to zoom in and access the code, which leads to a website about the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. He apparently wishes to promote the perception that he is obsessed with achieving the target he set for himself around 730 days back. However, the world is confused about his ultimate objective: finishing Hamas; killing all Palestinians; or creating the Greater Israel.
The gimmickery continued in New York. According to Netanyahu’s office, they resorted to a “public diplomacy campaign” in NY City. They organised and displayed billboards and trucks to display the message: “Remember October 7” in Times Square and around the UN building.
According to Pew Research Centre’s April 2025 report, support for Israel among Americans has dropped significantly since the start of the Gaza war.
Despite the shenanigans, Netanyahu stood exposed at the world’s biggest forum, more isolated than ever before. His policy inflexibility has forced some of his past allies to abandon him. A growing number of Western countries are left with no other option but to recognise the Palestinian statehood. Countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Portugal and France have taken the belated decision, much to the displeasure of Netanyahu.
A few days before his appearance, on September 12, a vote took place in the UN General Assembly Hall. Out of 193 UN member states, amid resounding applause, 142 voted in favour of a declaration on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-state solution with Israel. The New York Declaration was the outcome of an international conference held in July at UN Headquarters, organised by France and Saudi Arabia. 10 nations, including Israel and the US, opposed the declaration. This shows how limited support Tel Aviv is is now left with. The other eight countries were Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga. Twelve nations abstained during the vote.
Netanyahu’s diminishing support is not just about countries—it reflects a more fundamental change in American public opinion. According to Pew Research Centre’s April 2025 report, support for Israel among Americans has dropped significantly since the start of the Gaza war. Only 54 percent of Americans now say that the Israeli-Palestinian war is relevant to them, an 11-point drop from 65 percent in January 2024. The percentage of people who believe that the war is significant to US national interests has declined from 75 percent to 66 percent over the same period.
US, Israel’s staunchest ally, is showing signs of fatigue. President Donald Trump said earlier that any attempt by Israel to annex parts of the West Bank will be a red line for him.
Netanyahu still did not get the message that the Western nations wanted to send across to him through the long-awaited recognition of Palestine statehood: that enough was enough; that Israel cannot have an indefinite licence to kill; that there was a limit and that it had been crossed. His speech, with all its spin and allegations of anti-Semitism, was not heard by many. He is now isolated. The earlier he realises that, the better it may be for him and for world peace.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, since October 7, 2023, over 65,000 Palestinians have been killed. The question now is: how much more killing is needed? Netanyahu’s speech lacked a roadmap. For those rooting for world peace, that was the most alarming element.
The writer, a journalist for 33 years, has been an editor at the BBC in Pakistan for over two decades. Currently, he is the managing editor at Independent Urdu.