BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Barack Obama next week for the first time in seven months. Meanwhile, world leaders will gather in New York during the coming days for the opening of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

The meeting is scheduled to take place next Wednesday and was announced last night by spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council, Caitlin Hayden. According to Haaretz, it was also confirmed by Israeli officials. The two leaders are likely to discuss the ongoing negotiations between the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Media reports suggest that other agenda items will include the threat of ISIS and Israeli-Palestinian relations, especially in the wake of Operation Protective Edge.

Netanyahu will travel to New York on Sunday after the Jewish New Year in order to address the UN General Assembly, which opens later this week. It is reported that on the side lines of the gathering, Netanyahu will meet with India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a sign of growing Israel-India relations.

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas will also address the General Assembly. He is expected to make the case for the UN to impose a West Bank withdrawal on Israel and to use his time in New York to energetically lobby world leaders to support such a plan.

Meanwhile, it is widely reported in the UK media this morning that Prime Minister David Cameron will meet Iran’s President Rouhani during the UN gathering in New York. Such a meeting would be the first between the leaders of the two governments since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979. The reports say that the meeting will focus on efforts to persuade Iran to lend support to the US-led coalition tackling ISIS. However, Iran’s nuclear programme and Tehran’s support for Syria’s President Assad will also reportedly be on the agenda.