Amirul Islam, New York: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, escalating a public dispute between the two leaders.
In a video posted on social media Tuesday, Netanyahu accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and inciting hostility against Jewish people in New York. He also indicated that he intends to address the mayor during his upcoming UN speech.
“Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani,” Netanyahu said, accusing the mayor of supporting Hamas and inciting unrest against New York’s Jewish community.
Netanyahu said he would use the UN platform to defend Israeli soldiers and Israel’s military actions.
“I’m coming to the UN,” Netanyahu said. “I’m going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I’m going to tell the truth about you.”
The remarks followed renewed criticism of Netanyahu by Mamdani. In an interview with CNN, the New York mayor described the Israeli prime minister as a “war criminal” and accused him of being an architect of what Mamdani characterized as genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Mamdani has also argued that the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu should be respected. The ICC issued warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza conflict.
Israel rejects the ICC allegations and denies accusations of genocide, maintaining that its military operations are directed against Hamas.
Netanyahu is scheduled to address the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday. He has said his speech will defend Israel’s conduct and challenge criticism of its military campaign.
The latest exchange highlights the increasingly strained relationship between the Israeli government and New York’s mayor as world leaders gather in the city for the annual UN meetings.