Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New York on Thursday for the United Nations General Assembly.

There are no plans for him to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, or even to be in the same city.

The two leaders began the year promising to stand “shoulder to shoulder” against Iran.

However, they have since split over how to fight that war.

Netanyahu now faces global criticism over Israel’s war in Gaza and settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

He was scheduled to meet only a handful of leaders before his speech.

Many in Washington link him to the unpopular Iran fight.

Trump has tried to avoid looking forced into a war he once called a “little excursion.”

This is Netanyahu’s first such trip since Israel launched the Gaza war three years ago.

That war began after the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

He faces an election next month, widely seen as a verdict on his handling of the attacks.

Many world leaders at the summit have sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged his arrest.

He cited an International Criminal Court warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The U.S. is not a court member, and the city cannot arrest him.

Netanyahu often uses props and fluent English in speeches aimed mainly at Israeli voters at home.

Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said he times his speech for Israeli primetime.

But experts say the lack of high-profile meetings could hurt him.

Eytan Gilboa, a U.S.-Israel relations expert, called the trip a mistake that exposes his weaknesses.

He said failing to secure a Trump meeting shows poor management of ties with Israel’s strongest ally.

In 2023, President Joe Biden met Netanyahu on the summit sidelines despite reluctance.

Gilboa said Israel cannot survive without the United States.