Netanyahu to Meet Musk in Texas En Route to UN General Assembly

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to the United Nations General Assembly in the United States next week. Ahead of his arrival at the UN, reports indicate that Netanyahu plans to make a stop in Texas for several meetings, including a likely encounter with billionaire Elon Musk.

This planned stop in Texas is expected to incur significant costs for taxpayers. Furthermore, due to limitations with the Prime Minister's aircraft, "Wing of Zion," some government officials, including former minister and head of the public information system Tzipi Hotovely, may need to travel on private flights, also at public expense.

Uncertainty remains regarding a potential sideline meeting between Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump at the General Assembly. Trump is expected to meet with several Arab leaders, and Netanyahu has expressed a strong interest in meeting with him as well.

Meanwhile, following reports that the Trump administration is advancing a $2.8 billion arms deal with Israel, Democratic members of Congress may pose challenges to its approval. While some lawmakers are attempting to delay the transaction, President Trump's prior approval means they will face considerable difficulty in halting it. According to a Washington Post source within the administration, the deal encompasses 40,000 bombs.

Reuters reported that the deal has been informally transmitted to the relevant congressional committees and is nearing the completion of its approval process. An American source described it as the largest U.S. arms sale in years. The transaction reportedly includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and an additional 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, each weighing 900 kilograms. The Washington Post also noted that the deal is expected to include 20,000 I-2000 armor-piercing warheads.