Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be delivering what could be his final address on the floor of the United Nations when he takes to the podium in Turtle Bay on Thursday.
Elections will take place little more than a month after his speech, and according to the latest poll from The Times of Israel’s Hebrew sister site, Zman Yisrael, Netanyahu’s bloc is falling well short of the 61 seats he needs to form another government.
If anyone can pull a victory out of thin air in a challenging political environment, however, it’s Netanyahu. And if anyone can deliver a memorable address, it’s the same orator, a veteran of 14 UN General Assembly speeches.
At home, the prime minister is facing significant voter anger over his failure to prevent the October 7, 2023, attacks, his refusal to establish a state commission of inquiry into the disaster, his outgoing coalition’s insistent refusal to enlist Haredim, and a growing extremist strain in society.
There are not many opportunities left for Netanyahu to capture headlines — and potentially move crucial votes — in Israel. Although the prime minister will focus on pressing national security issues of interest to world leaders on Thursday, his foremost audience, therefore, will be Israeli voters watching short highlights and skimming the front page back home.
Published originally on September 23, 2026, under the title “A Month from Elections, U.N. Speech Is an Opportunity for Netanyahu. But Trump Isn’t Helping Him.”
Read the full article at the Times of Israel.
