https://arab.news/y43px
The year 2025 has, in many respects, been a positive one for Israel and its embattled leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been fighting on multiple internal and external fronts. The year that ushered in the second term of a decidedly pro-Israel US president, Donald Trump, also saw the release of Israeli hostages and the continued military dominance of Israel over its Arab neighbors.
Yet despite these visible successes, Netanyahu has been unable to shake off his deep domestic troubles, nor has Israel managed to repair its fractured international image. Recognition of the state of Palestine has reached an all-time high, with 157 of the UN’s 193 member states now acknowledging it. Four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with most Western countries and the Holy See, are among those that now recognize Palestine.
Following his inauguration, Trump appeared extremely supportive of the Israeli leader. The US imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court and on the UN rapporteur for Palestinian human rights. In an extraordinary move, Trump and his secretary of state also blocked the Palestinian delegation — including the moderate President Mahmoud Abbas — from entering America to attend September’s UN General Assembly in New York.
