Netanyahu Warns Mamdani Ahead of U.N. Visit: “I’m Going to Tell the Truth — About You”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to New York for Thursday’s United Nations General Assembly with a message for the city’s mayor.

In a video posted Tuesday, Netanyahu accused Mayor Zohran Mamdani of supporting Hamas and inciting hostility toward New York Jews. He said he would defend Israeli soldiers at the U.N. and address Mamdani directly. The accusations are Netanyahu’s; Mamdani has rejected claims that he supports Hamas or incites antisemitism.

The exchange follows Mamdani’s repeated description of Netanyahu as “a war criminal.” Mamdani previously said he would seek the Israeli leader’s arrest if he visited New York, but has since acknowledged that he lacks the authority to carry it out. In an interview aired Tuesday by CNN, he stood by his criticism.

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Netanyahu answered in a video posted to X:

“Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani,” Netanyahu said in the accompanying X video. “Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. 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’s remarks put the dispute over Israel’s war against Hamas on a prominent international stage. Mamdani has sharply criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza, while Netanyahu has rejected allegations that Israel is committing genocide. The prime minister is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday. ([investing.com][2])

The political divide is also visible among American Jews. In a June Associated Press–NORC survey, 38% of Jewish adults said the United States was too supportive of Israel, while 32% said it was not supportive enough. Fifty-nine percent viewed Netanyahu unfavorably, compared with 39% who viewed Mamdani unfavorably. The survey interviewed 1,022 Jewish adults; its margin of sampling error for that group was ±5 percentage points, rather than the ±2.8 points that applied to the full sample of 3,040 adults. ([AP-NORC][3])

Netanyahu’s U.N. appearance will give him an opportunity to make Israel’s case before world leaders. His warning has also ensured that New York’s mayor will be part of the conversation.