Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday afternoon before flying back to Israel the same night Mario Nawfal/X

Benjamin Netanyahu has cut his US visit to a few hours, scrapped a Texas meeting with Elon Musk and steered his state jet away from New York, as a mayor who concedes he cannot arrest him reshapes an allied leader's movements.

The Israeli prime minister is due to land on Thursday morning and address the United Nations (UN) General Assembly at 2pm New York time, then fly home that evening without an overnight stay. His official aircraft, known as the 'Wing of Zion', will avoid John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and land instead at Newark Liberty International Airport or a military airfield in New Jersey.

A Visit Cut to Hours

Earlier plans had Netanyahu arriving on Wednesday with a fuller schedule. Israeli officials now describe a trip built almost entirely around the UN speech, with no overnight stay and no reporters flying with him. Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said the prime minister would return home that night.

He is not expected to meet President Donald Trump, who addresses the assembly earlier in the week and leaves New York before Netanyahu arrives. US officials said Netanyahu was not on Trump's list of meetings. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to be the most senior US official he sees.

The Musk Meeting That Vanished

The Texas leg collapsed over the weekend. An advance team from Netanyahu's office had already reached the state to prepare the meeting with Musk, with a possible visit to SpaceX facilities under review, before being told the stop was off. Israeli officials said Netanyahu made the decision himself.

The plan also carried a practical hurdle. The 'Wing of Zion' cannot fly nonstop from Israel to Texas and would have needed a refuelling stop, while some delegation members might have flown separately on commercial flights.

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Mamdani's Retreat on Arrest

Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned on ordering Netanyahu's arrest, then ordered a legal review after taking office. In July, he acknowledged New York City has no power to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, and said he would not write a new law to do it.

Speaking to CNN this week, Mamdani said the warrant 'should be honoured' and argued no individual sits above international accountability. He has also said he will not join protests against Netanyahu, while defending New Yorkers' right to demonstrate.

Netanyahu hit back in a video statement, accusing the mayor of supporting Hamas and inciting hostility towards New York's Jews. 'Shame on you, Mr Mamdani,' he said, promising to use his UN address to defend Israel's soldiers.

A Warrant Washington Rejects

The ICC issued the warrant on 21 November 2024, naming Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including using starvation as a weapon. Netanyahu rejects the charges as false.

Neither the US nor Israel belongs to the ICC, and the Trump administration placed sanctions on the court in February 2025. Protests are planned near the UN and outside Netanyahu's hotel, with Jewish groups organising a separate rally against antisemitism.

The result is a rare sight: a world leader trimming his travel around a US mayor who admits he has no power to stop him.

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