By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, September 23, 2026

The 81st session of the General Assembly opened with Israel at the center of nearly every speech, whether as target, subject, or glaring omission. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the Assembly on Thursday afternoon. He is flying in for barely 24 hours, squeezed between Yom Kippur and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), in the middle of an Israeli election campaign, and with New York City’s mayor calling for his arrest.