Trump sidesteps Israel at UN while Jordan, Turkey go on the attack

U.S. President Donald Trump came to the United Nations on Tuesday with plenty to say about the Middle East, but surprisingly little to say directly about Israel. During a nearly 40-minute address to the UN General Assembly, Trump mentioned Israel just once and never mentioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by name.

To be sure, many of Israel’s foes didn’t hesitate to bring up the Jewish state. More on that in a moment, but as for President Trump, he didn’t make any headlines about Israel.

You can make the argument that Trump did that by design. After all, the United Nations has never really been a friend to Israel at all. Plus, a full-throttled defense of Israel might potentially jeopardize sensitive negotiations with America’s allies in the Middle East.

So instead, Iran dominated the conversation, with Trump calling the Islamic Republic the former “bully of the Middle East” and presenting Tehran with a stark choice between diplomacy and potentially overwhelming military force. Leave it to Trump to muse during the speech about which way he should go.

“I have a big decision to make,” Trump told world leaders. “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?” 

Trump then predicted that diplomacy could ultimately win out. “I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election,” he said, referring to November’s U.S. midterms. We’ve heard talk of a deal many times before. Skepticism is understandable right now.

Meanwhile, beyond Trump issuing warnings from the General Assembly podium, U.S. and Iranian officials were holding talks behind the scenes in New York City. Trump later revealed that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff had participated in roughly three hours of talks involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Qatar helped mediate the discussions. Witkoff said afterward that he felt good about the meeting, while Trump said another round of discussions could take place soon. 

Iran also signaled possible movement on one of the most economically consequential issues of the conflict. A senior Iranian official indicated that Tehran could be prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if Washington eased some military and economic pressure.  We’ve heard this saga before as well.

Through it all, Trump’s central red line remained Iran’s nuclear program. He again pledged that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon, a declaration that drew applause from diplomats inside the hall.

Dr. Rebecca Grant, president of IRIS Independent Research, provided ALL ISRAEL NEWS with her reaction to President Trump’s speech. “Trump made sure to note the upcoming anniversary of October 7, 2023 and he denounced the slaughter of innocent babies by Hamas,” Grant told us. “Of course, the Gaza ceasefire and UN endorsement of the Board of Peace are major achievements since last year’s UNGA.”

“But the moment with the most impact for Israel was this: the spontaneous applause from world leaders when Trump vowed again that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.” Grant added that despite the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency, “the UN was powerless in the face of Iran’s threat.” “Most in the UN audience today realize they have to credit the U.S. and Israel for forestalling nuclear blackmail by Iran. And Trump won’t budge; it’s a deal or annihilation, Iran’s choice.”

Indeed, Trump did connect Iran to Israel through the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks, reminding the General Assembly that the third anniversary is approaching. He noted that approximately 1,200 Israelis and others were killed in the attack, including Americans, and accused Iran of funding the terrorists responsible. But Israel itself remained largely outside the president’s rhetorical spotlight.

Trump did tout the Gaza ceasefire and hostage agreement reached following last year’s UN gathering, along with his administration’s Board of Peace initiative designed to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction. Yet even while discussing those developments, Trump largely avoided mentioning Israel directly. 

Political analyst and New York radio host Jake Novak saw that as intentional. “It’s frankly a pleasure to see the President not indulge the UN’s Israel obsessions, as he only spoke about the country for a short time,” Novak told ALL ISRAEL NEWS. “It was also a power move, as President Trump clearly sees no reason to beg and plead with the UN to legitimize the war.”

Other leaders took a dramatically different approach. Jordan’s King Abdullah II devoted much of his speech to Israel and the Palestinians, accusing the Israeli government of continuing military operations and changing facts on the ground despite Trump’s efforts toward peace.

“President Trump has pushed hard for peace and a path to end this war,” Abdullah said. “But this Israeli government keeps moving the goalposts, continuing its attacks and destruction of civilian infrastructure, refusing to withdraw, and squeezing Palestinians into barely a third of Gaza.”

The Jordanian monarch also warned about Israeli actions in Syria. “This Israeli government’s expansionist appetite is now a regional threat, and today Syria is the warning the international community is choosing not to see,” Abdullah said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a nefarious foe of Israel, went even further. He accused Israel of “acts of state terror” and described Gaza as “the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time.” He also urged governments around the world to increase pressure on Israel and expand recognition of a Palestinian state. Israel rejects Turkey’s allegations that its military campaign amounts to genocide. 

Erdoğan accused Israel of blocking further implementation of Trump’s Gaza ceasefire framework and criticized Israeli policy in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel’s UN delegation walked out during his address.

With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to speak on Thursday at the UN General Assembly, more walkouts and fireworks will surely follow.