Israeli Environment Minister Joins Netanyahu at UN General Assembly

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman was seen attempting to conceal her identity at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday as she departed for New York to accompany Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly. Silman, who did not secure a Knesset seat in the recent Likud primaries, was photographed wearing a sun hat and large sunglasses alongside her aides and security detail.

Sources familiar with the matter stated that Silman has structured her ministry's schedule around the Prime Minister's visit, a practice she also followed last year when she joined Netanyahu for his UN address. She spent a week in the United States then and posted a photo with the Netanyahus at the UN.

Silman's office confirmed her travel, stating that she will represent Israel at various high-level environmental and sustainability events at the UN and in New York City. The ministry emphasized that the trip aims to represent Israel in key international forums, strengthen its global engagement, and showcase its commitment to environmental and sustainability issues.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch is also traveling to New York for ministry-related matters and will attend Netanyahu's speech on Thursday. Netanyahu himself is undertaking a brief visit to the US, arriving Thursday morning for his UN address scheduled for 2 PM New York time (9 PM Israel time). He will depart the same evening, making this an unusually short trip with no overnight stay.

Netanyahu's plane, "Wing of Zion," is expected to land in New Jersey, either at a military airfield or Newark Liberty International Airport, rather than JFK, due to coordination difficulties with US authorities and concerns about potential disruptions. This decision, along with the cancellation of a planned meeting with Elon Musk, is reportedly linked to fears of protests during his visit. No meetings with President Trump or other officials have been scheduled, and Netanyahu will not be accompanied by journalists.