Netanyahu Accuses Mamdani Of Endangering Jewish New Yorkers
9 hours ago
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of endangering Jewish New Yorkers and spreading false claims about Israel during a pointed exchange at the United Nations General Assembly Thursday.
Netanyahu devoted part of his address to Mamdani, a longtime critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The Israeli leader claimed that Jewish residents have told him they no longer feel as safe in New York since Mamdani took office.
Netanyahu also accused Mamdani of antisemitism and of spreading false information about Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Mamdani has rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying his criticism of the Israeli government and support for Palestinian rights should not be conflated with hostility toward Jewish people.
The mayor has repeatedly called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and accused him of being an architect of what Mamdani describes as a genocide against Palestinians. Israel strongly denies that it has committed genocide, saying its military campaign has targeted Hamas and other militants.
The genocide allegation remains heavily contested. An independent U.N. commission of inquiry concluded in 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, while Israel rejected that finding and has continued to dispute similar accusations.
Netanyahu also criticized Mamdani over his previous pledge to have the Israeli leader arrested if he came to New York. Mamdani later acknowledged that city officials do not have the legal authority to carry out the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
Mamdani responded after the U.N. address by accusing Netanyahu of making “baseless lies” and again pointed to the ICC warrant, which alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu has rejected the allegations against him.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in tensions between the two leaders. Netanyahu had signaled before arriving in New York that he intended to directly challenge Mamdani’s criticism during his appearance before world leaders.
During the broader U.N. address, Netanyahu defended Israel’s military actions and rejected international accusations of genocide. He also praised President Donald Trump for his support of Israel, saying the country has had “no greater partner” than the U.S. president.
Netanyahu devoted part of his address to Mamdani, a longtime critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The Israeli leader claimed that Jewish residents have told him they no longer feel as safe in New York since Mamdani took office.
Netanyahu also accused Mamdani of antisemitism and of spreading false information about Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Mamdani has rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying his criticism of the Israeli government and support for Palestinian rights should not be conflated with hostility toward Jewish people.
The mayor has repeatedly called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and accused him of being an architect of what Mamdani describes as a genocide against Palestinians. Israel strongly denies that it has committed genocide, saying its military campaign has targeted Hamas and other militants.
The genocide allegation remains heavily contested. An independent U.N. commission of inquiry concluded in 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, while Israel rejected that finding and has continued to dispute similar accusations.
Netanyahu also criticized Mamdani over his previous pledge to have the Israeli leader arrested if he came to New York. Mamdani later acknowledged that city officials do not have the legal authority to carry out the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
Mamdani responded after the U.N. address by accusing Netanyahu of making “baseless lies” and again pointed to the ICC warrant, which alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu has rejected the allegations against him.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in tensions between the two leaders. Netanyahu had signaled before arriving in New York that he intended to directly challenge Mamdani’s criticism during his appearance before world leaders.
During the broader U.N. address, Netanyahu defended Israel’s military actions and rejected international accusations of genocide. He also praised President Donald Trump for his support of Israel, saying the country has had “no greater partner” than the U.S. president.
