There is a line from the prime minister’s UN speech that anyone who sits in off-camera briefings will recognize. Behind closed doors, many leaders say Israel is right. They thank our intelligence for saving lives in their capitals. They admit who began this war and who still holds our citizens underground.
In that regard, Benjamin Netanyahu spoke for many Israelis. He reminded the hall that October 7 is not ancient history and that rushing to recognize a Palestinian state right now signals that terror pays.
But an accurate diagnosis is not a plan. In New York, the prime minister delivered a hasbara (public diplomacy) speech, sharp and often effective, yet without a road map. We heard what he opposes: a Palestinian state now, the Palestinian Authority as it is, the international hypocrisy. We did not hear what replaces them. Obviously, the hostages must come home. Obviously, Hamas cannot rule Gaza again. So, who funds it, who secures it, and how do we keep Iranian money out for longer than one news cycle?
<strong>Gaps in Netanyahu's plan</strong><br>
Even Netanyahu’s staunch allies heard the same gap. Right-wing commentator Shimon Riklin praised the tone, calling it “a strong, smart, and moving speech,” yet added a “but”: Where is the substance? “The shortcoming of the speech was the lack of an explanation of where we go from here with Gaza, and the ignoring of the big shoal on which Israel is stuck: the absence of a solution for the hostages.”
Riklin added, “Precisely because of all the hopes for peace he detailed, Hamas will keep refusing any deal. Every day that passes entangles Israel further in the international and economic arenas. Our transformation into Sparta will continue. The stock market will keep falling. More countries will cancel contracts with us. Hamas sees this and takes delight in it, wanting the situation to continue."
"In the end, perhaps from their perspective, all the destruction in Gaza will have been worth it.”
Riklin asked if maybe we are approaching the moment when Israel will understand that “only entering the areas where hostages are held, and, if there is an opportunity, trying to free them, is the only visible chance to break out of the loop we are in… Or will Israel’s policy continue to be dictated by Hamas’s refusal and keep trailing after it? This is the hardest decision of all, but it has long been necessary. I yearn for the day when there will be a public debate about it,” he concluded.
For nearly two years, Israel has neglected professional hasbara. One set-piece address cannot fill that vacuum or reverse a trend that lasts longer than a single week in New York. Israel is becoming isolated. Walkouts in the hall are the symptom. Trade decisions, campus campaigns, legal warfare, and boardroom moves are the disease. The speech did not grapple with that reality or tell Israelis how to rebuild the coalition of partners who once spent political capital for us when it was costly.
Relying on one friend is not a foreign policy. President Donald Trump’s support matters, but it is not a breakwater against the rising tide of boycotts, recognitions, and investigations. If Israel wants time and legitimacy to finish the war on terms that protect Israelis, it needs a strategy that outlasts the next press conference.
We also need to hear an economic plan that returns Israel to being the Start-Up Nation in practice, not only in memory. Investors follow clarity and stability. Where is the plan to restart growth engines, bring back foreign capital, repair the North and the South, and convince the talent that left for a quarter that this is the best place to build for the next decade?
Netanyahu made some good points. Many of his criticisms are fair. He uncovered a private truth about Western leaders who often whisper support but vote differently. Yet leadership is not only about being right; it is about turning that truth into an executable path.
The speech reminded the world why Israel fights. What we still need is the plan for how Israel wins, ends the war on terms that keep Israelis safe, breaks the isolation, and rebuilds the confidence to be a nation that creates again.