Welcome to CFR’s Daily News Brief. Today we’re covering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, as well as... |
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Netanyahu is addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA) today amid heightened international pushback to Israel’s war in Gaza and plans for the West Bank. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing UNGA yesterday via video after the Trump administration denied him a visa, rejected the idea that Palestinians would leave their territories, called for Hamas to disarm, and said that Hamas would play no role in the postwar governance of Gaza. Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he “will not allow” Israel to annex the West Bank—a step some Israeli politicians have pushed for after multiple Western countries recently recognized Palestinian statehood.
Gaza in focus. Before departing for New York, Netanyahu told reporters he intended to lay out Israel’s case regarding the war in Gaza and condemn the prospect of Palestinian statehood. His appearance at UNGA comes amid growing international scrutiny of Israel’s war conduct. Despite that, Israel is continuing its military advance in Gaza City, and Palestinian health authorities reported nineteen people killed across Gaza yesterday. Meanwhile, Microsoft announced yesterday that it had disabled some of its services to the Israeli military, saying that mass surveillance of civilians violated its terms of service.
The West Bank in focus. Trump’s warning on the West Bank followed his meeting with leaders of Arab and Muslim countries at UNGA earlier this week about a potential plan for ending Israel’s war in Gaza. Those leaders said that West Bank annexation would imperil the Abraham Accords, Trump’s first-term deal that saw Israel normalize ties with multiple Arab countries. In recent weeks, as countries announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state, Israel greenlit the construction of a settlement that would effectively bisect the West Bank. International opposition had previously delayed those plans.
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“Although Israel has a friend in the White House who is prepared to back it in important ways, long-term U.S. and European support for Israel is not guaranteed, especially if even more Americans and Europeans come to view it as a pariah state denying rights to others.” |
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| Sanaullah Seiam/AFP/Getty Images |
The Trump administration has chosen to retreat from UN human rights standards and processes. These decisions make Americans less safe, Desirée Cormier Smith, Beth Van Schaack, and CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow Catherine Powell write in this Expert Brief. |
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| What You Missed: The UN at CFR |
World leaders and thinkers are visiting CFR during the UN General Assembly week. We’ll bring you their insights in the Daily News Brief every morning.
Global energy security at a crossroads: Global energy security is facing mounting risks, warned Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. Europe, he noted, is in a “very difficult situation” due to a series of “historical” strategic mistakes, including overreliance on Russian gas. While a “huge amount of liquified natural gas” is expected to enter markets between 2026 and 2030, he stressed that markets alone are not enough to solve the energy crisis, urging international cooperation and diversification. Birol also predicted that “nuclear will have a much stronger share in the generation mix.”
Watch the full conversation with Executive Director Fatih Birol.
Somalia’s ongoing recovery efforts: After more than three decades of conflict—including against the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab—Somalia is advancing national efforts to restore stability and rebuild institutions, said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Somalia’s “economy is recovering, our GDP is growing, [and] our revenue is expanding,” he added. Mohamud also emphasized the government’s determination to move forward, adding, “we are not allowing, by any means, Somalia to relapse into a violent process.”
Watch the full conversation with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. |
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In addition to overreliance on Russian energy, Europe in recent years also made the mistakes of turning away from nuclear power and neglecting solar technology development, International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said at this CFR Meeting. |
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Pharma tariff. The United States will apply 100 percent tariffs on branded or patented pharmaceutical products beginning October 1 unless firms build manufacturing plants in the United States, Trump wrote yesterday on social media. Trump also announced plans for 50 percent tariffs on kitchen cabinet-related imports, 30 percent on upholstered furniture, and 25 percent tariffs on heavy trucks to begin the same day, saying he aimed to support local industry.
Merz’s shift on Russian assets. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed using frozen Russian financial assets to finance a continued weapons supply for Ukraine, reversing his previous position. He wrote in the Financial Times that doing so could give Kyiv “staying power” in repelling Russia’s invasion and suggested providing Ukraine with an interest-free loan of around $160 billion.
Trump’s bilateral with Turkey...Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the White House for the first time in six years yesterday. Trump urged Turkey to stop buying Russian oil, a measure Trump says is necessary to pressure Russia toward peace. Erdoğan, meanwhile, is seeking permission to buy U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, a purchase blocked by Washington after Turkey bought a Russian air defense system. Trump told reporters that he believed Erdoğan would stop buying Russian oil and “be successful in buying the things that he wants to buy.”
…and Pakistan. Trump also hosted a bilateral with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir at the White House yesterday, continuing his efforts to improve U.S.-Pakistan ties. The two countries announced a trade agreement in July, whereas Trump has slapped heavy tariffs on Pakistan’s rival India. Yesterday’s meeting was closed to the media, but Sharif’s office said he thanked Trump for the trade deal and invited him to visit Pakistan.
Military chiefs in Virginia. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered top U.S. military commanders stationed around the world to attend a meeting next Tuesday in Virginia. They were not immediately told the reason for the meeting. The unusual directive comes months after Hegseth announced plans to fire some one hundred generals and admirals from the total of around eight hundred, but he did not specify a timeline.
Netherlands-Uganda migration deal. The countries signed a letter of intent to open a transit hub in Uganda for asylum-seekers whose cases were rejected by the Netherlands. It would apply to migrants who came from countries near Uganda. The Netherlands will hold elections next month after its governing coalition collapsed over a migration policy dispute.
TikTok order. Trump signed an executive order yesterday declaring that a preliminary deal to sell TikTik’s U.S. operations addresses national security concerns. The order sets a mid-January deadline to finalize the sale. Trump said yesterday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to proceed with it.
Ecuador vote on charter. Ecuador greenlit plans for a November 16 referendum on whether to rewrite the country’s constitution. President Daniel Noboa has called for a new charter that expands security forces’ authority to fight crime but decreases due process rights. Voters will also weigh in on whether to allow foreign military bases in the country.
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| Today, the UN Security Council is due to vote on postponing the reimposition of sanctions on Iran.
Today, NATO’s military leadership begins a meeting in Latvia. Saturday, Gabon holds parliamentary elections. -
Sunday, Switzerland holds referendums on an electronic identity program and tax policy.
- Sunday, Moldova holds parliamentary elections.
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| The Russian drones launched earlier this month were likely the most serious incursion into NATO airspace since the alliance’s founding, CFR Senior Fellow Liana Fix says on this episode of The President’s Inbox. |
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