New York: In a fiery address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a scathing attack on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of spreading lies and endangering the city’s Jewish population. The blistering speech marked a major escalation in the ongoing public feud between the Israeli leader and the city’s first Muslim mayor, centering around Israel’s prolonged military operations in Gaza.
Addressing the global assembly, Netanyahu directly targeted Mamdani, labelling him an “antisemitic mayor” whose rhetoric has fuelled insecurity. “Mr. Mamdani, since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York,” Netanyahu stated. He claimed that local Jewish residents have expressed their fears to him, noting that the city has changed rapidly. Defiant against the Mayor’s previous threats, the Prime Minister added, “You tried to stop me from coming here. You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth.”
The bitter dispute stems from Mamdani’s vocal condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has reportedly claimed over 73,000 lives since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. Mamdani has consistently branded Netanyahu a “war criminal” and the mastermind of a “horrific genocide” against the Palestinian people. Prior to the UNGA session, the Mayor had even urged the federal government to execute an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu, though he conceded that local city authorities lacked the jurisdiction to detain him.
Unfazed by the UNGA attack, Mamdani quickly fired back with a strong statement. He accused Netanyahu of utilising the global platform to peddle “baseless lies” designed to justify and sanitise the genocide of Palestinians. Mamdani firmly reiterated that criticising Israel’s military policies and advocating for Palestinian human rights does not equate to antisemitism. He also reminded the public that Netanyahu still faces serious ICC charges for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The diplomatic drama also featured US President Donald Trump, who held a meeting with Mayor Mamdani earlier in the week in New York. Despite this meeting, Trump had previously made it clear that the US government would not arrest the Israeli Prime Minister. During his Thursday address, Netanyahu reciprocated the diplomatic support, showering praise on the US President and declaring that Israel has never had a better partner than Trump.