Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the United Nations General Assembly. Photo: UN.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will concentrate on the Iranian issue in his upcoming speech to the UN General Assembly. At the same time, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to deliver an especially aggressive address a few hours before.

According to the Hebrew news site Walla, Netanyahu will make his speech on Thursday before the full Assembly, and will focus on Iran, especially its nuclear ambitions, threats to annihilate Israel, and Israel’s right to defend itself against such threats. The speech is not expected to concentrate heavily on the conflict with the Palestinians.

Officials in Jerusalem expect Abbas’ speech a few hours before Netanyahu’s to be quite different. They believe he will deliver an extremely aggressive address that will denounce both Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.

Abbas will also hold meetings on the sidelines of the assembly that are expected to concentrate on persuading various world leaders to oppose Trump’s recent actions on the Palestinian issue, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the US embassy there, and cutting off funds to the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.

Netanyahu will also meet with Trump on the sidelines of the General Assembly, the fifth meeting between the two men and the first since Trump decided to withdraw the US from former president Obama’s nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Iran.

In addition, the prime minister will hold conversations with various world leaders, including those of France, Germany, Austria, Rwanda, and Guatemala. He is also expected to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.