Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply attacked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of his planned speech at the United Nations General Assembly this week.
Netanyahu said he would use the UN platform to defend Israel’s military actions and respond directly to critics such as Mamdani.
He then accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and criticised his comments about Israel, Reuters reported. Reuters reported that the issue relates to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Mamdani has rejected claims that his criticism of Israel is antisemitic. However, Mamdani later acknowledged that he does not have the legal authority to carry out such an arrest.
In a video message, Netanyahu said he was going to the UN to speak about what he called the truth about Israeli soldiers and Mamdani. Mamdani had previously said he would arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister came to New York.
Israel then launched a major air and ground military campaign in Gaza, saying its goal was to destroy Hamas’ military and governing capabilities. Earlier reporting noted: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a sharp attack on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of supporting Hamas. Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 people being kidnapped, according to Israeli authorities.
Because of his strong support for Palestinians and his criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, some Republican opponents have accused Mamdani of antisemitism. The exchange marks the latest escalation in a running war of words between the two leaders, days before Netanyahu is due to address the UN General Assembly.
Mamdani has condemned antisemitism and said criticism of the Israeli government’s actions should not be treated as hatred of Jewish people, as noted by NDTV World. Earlier reporting noted: Mamdani had previously said he would arrest Netanyahu if he entered New York, although he acknowledged he did not actually have the power to do so. Earlier reporting noted: Netanyahu’s comments came in response to remarks Mamdani made to CNN on Monday, in which he described the Israeli prime minister as a “war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people.”
The remarks underline how the dispute between the Israeli prime minister and New York’s mayor has now moved into the wider UN diplomatic spotlight. Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 24.
He said he plans to speak about Israel’s military actions and defend Israeli soldiers against criticism, according to Reuters. In the interview, Mamdani called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and said he was an “architect of a horrific genocide” against Palestinians. Spielman said Netanyahu is not intimidated by criticism from Mamdani and intends to use his UN appearance to defend Israel.
Netanyahu’s comments came after Mamdani spoke to CNN on Monday.
