This afternoon's briefing covers Prime Minister Netanyahu's brief but consequential appearance at the UN General Assembly, a political storm sparked by Avigdor Liberman's West Bank proposal, and a foiled terror plot targeting National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Internationally, Germany's chancellor sounded the alarm on antisemitism while reports emerged on Iran's role in Yemen's shifting conflict.

Politics

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to spend only a few hours in New York for the UN General Assembly, a marked contrast to previous visits where he held extensive bilateral meetings. His international standing, like Israel's, has been affected since the 7 October attacks. The opening day of the Assembly saw pointed criticism of Israel's regional conduct from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Netanyahu is expected to use his address to respond directly to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who called him a 'war criminal' and suggested he should be arrested; Netanyahu has accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas. Separately, a French source told the Jerusalem Post that Macron's comments regarding Hamas's activity in the West Bank had been mistranslated, after Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the remarks as 'outrageous'. Elsewhere, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman triggered a right-wing backlash by suggesting Jordan should take control of parts of the West Bank, arguing the Palestinian Authority cannot remain in charge and that a vacuum cannot be tolerated. Netanyahu demanded Liberman 'retract the statement immediately'.

Security

The Shin Bet and police announced they had foiled a plot by two Palestinians from Nablus who had been planning since 2023 to kidnap a soldier, assassinate Ben Gvir using an explosive-laden drone, and carry out attacks on security forces and civilians. The pair had acquired numerous weapons as part of the scheme. Ben Gvir said this was the eleventh attempt on his life, adding that it would neither deter nor frighten him. In a separate development, a new report suggests that UAE intelligence warned the Shin Bet of Hamas's planned action before 7 October, prompting the Emirati leader to personally call Netanyahu to ensure the information had been received. The report also included further detail on an alleged similar warning conveyed by Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar shortly before the onslaught.

International

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Jewish life in Germany is 'no longer safe', describing rising antisemitism as a 'disgrace for Germany' and pledging to protect Jewish communities. In Yemen, sources report that Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers played a decisive role in the Houthis' rapid advance, providing months of training and logistics support and being present on the ground at all levels during the fighting that pushed pro-government forces from the Red Sea coast. In Britain, Green Party leadership contender Zack Polanski called a 'Zionism is racism' motion an 'unhelpful distraction', while facing scrutiny over comments appearing to link concerns about the Israeli government to the Holocaust and his own description of having 'de-Zionized' himself.

Sources: Ynet, Walla, www.israelhayom.co.il, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post