Netanyahu has traded diplomacy for force and faced defeat nonetheless

A significant diplomatic defeat for Israel occurred in September 1989, during Benjamin Netanyahu's time as the nation's ambassador to the UN. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) leader, Yasser Arafat, was invited to speak at the UN General Assembly. This event marked a major setback for Israeli diplomacy, as the First Intifada had elevated Arafat's status to that of the national leader of the Palestinians. The piece contrasts this early diplomatic experience with Netanyahu's later reliance on military force over diplomacy.