Netanyahu vows to target NYC Mayor Mamdani in UN speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed a sharp public rebuke at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday, posting a video on social media in which he vowed to "tell the truth" about the mayor during his upcoming address to the United Nations General Assembly. The clash injected a volatile local dimension into a week already dominated by high-stakes global diplomacy in Manhattan.

A War of Words Escalates

"Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews. I'm coming to the U.N. I'm going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I'm going to tell the truth about you," Netanyahu said in the video, according to ABC7 New York. The remarks came after Mamdani, a democratic socialist who took office last year, doubled down on his calls for federal authorities to arrest Netanyahu on war crimes charges tied to the conflict in Gaza.abc7ny

The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu said he would use his UN speech to attack the New York City mayor, publishing the video one day before his departure for the General Assembly. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon, arriving at the United Nations on Tuesday, said the mayor should focus on running his city rather than on the Israeli prime minister.timesofisrael+1

The feud has been building for months. In July, Mamdani called Netanyahu "a war criminal and the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people" in a video statement, while acknowledging that the city lacked independent legal authority to arrest a foreign leader. In early September, Netanyahu posted an AI-generated video to his X account pairing a computer-animated Mamdani with Iran's supreme leader and other adversaries of Israel, as part of what appeared to be a domestic campaign effort ahead of Israel's October elections.nytimes+1

Diplomacy and Discord in New York

The exchange unfolded against the backdrop of a packed diplomatic week. The 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened its general debate Tuesday, with President Trump addressing the body and meeting with world leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump's speech focused heavily on the war with Iran, now approaching its seventh month, and tensions in the Western Hemisphere.cbsnews+1

Just a day earlier, Trump and Mamdani held a cordial hourlong meeting at Gracie Mansion, where the two discussed housing, affordability, and a plan to build roughly 12,000 homes at Sunnyside Yards in Queens. After the meeting, Mamdani appeared on CNN and again described Netanyahu as a war criminal, telling the network he believed federal authorities should honor the international arrest warrant.nypost+2

Netanyahu's Arrival Looms

Netanyahu is expected to land in New York on Wednesday and address the General Assembly before returning to Israel ahead of Sukkot. The visit has prompted heightened security coordination, with the U.S. Secret Service unusually involved in preparations. Despite earlier rhetoric suggesting possible arrest, Mamdani has said he will not attend any protests during the assembly and will instead focus on keeping the city safe.youtube+1