Overview

• At the UN’s 80th‑anniversary session, President Donald Trump questioned the organization’s purpose, calling its declarations “empty words” and asserting he ended seven wars without its help.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to a largely emptied plenary after mass walkouts by delegates protesting Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
• Netanyahu lauded his alignment with Washington, rejected a Palestinian state, and vowed to continue military operations against Hamas, casting the campaign as a defense of Western civilization.
• Despite the diplomatic rebuke at the General Assembly, the White House scheduled a reception for Netanyahu, signaling sustained U.S.-Israel bilateral cooperation.
• Commentators underscored structural constraints on UN action, pointing to U.S. vetoes that impede Gaza cease-fire measures and to budget strains linked to reduced U.S. funding, while reform proposals were deemed politically unworkable.