United Nations, September 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a sharp attack on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his address to the UN General Assembly, accusing him of antisemitism and rejecting his allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
Addressing Mamdani directly from the Assembly podium, Netanyahu said, “Shame on you for spitting in the face of the truth, Mr. Mamdani,” and accused him of “inverting victim and aggressor”. Netanyahu asserted that Israel had not committed genocide and instead argued that it had prevented one.
The confrontation followed Mamdani’s repeated calls for accountability for Netanyahu over the Gaza war. Mamdani had previously said Netanyahu should be arrested on the basis of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, while later acknowledging that the New York City mayor does not have the legal authority to enforce it.
Netanyahu also claimed that many Jews no longer feel safe in New York since Mamdani became mayor and referred to what he described as rising antisemitic hate crimes. NYPD figures released earlier this year showed confirmed hate crimes had increased 7.7 per cent year-to-date through June 2026, with anti-Jewish incidents accounting for 55.3 per cent of confirmed hate crimes during the first half of the year.
Netanyahu further criticised Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, alleging that she had liked social media posts praising the October 7 Hamas attack and questioning Israel’s existence. These were presented as allegations by Netanyahu during his speech.
Mamdani, in a statement responding to the address, rejected Netanyahu’s assertions and said the Israeli leader had used the UN platform to repeat what Mamdani described as “baseless lies” concerning Palestinians. He again pointed to the ICC arrest warrant, which alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The exchange unfolded amid protests around the UN during Netanyahu’s visit. Several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in New York, while more than 100 people were arrested during one protest near the UN, according to the source material.
Mamdani himself did not participate in the demonstrations, though several political allies associated with the Democratic Socialists of America’s left wing were among the protesters.
The mayor also drew attention earlier in the week by symbolically planting an olive tree at Gracie Mansion with Palestinian families from Gaza, a gesture that came amid longstanding allegations concerning the destruction of Palestinian olive groves.
The Netanyahu-Mamdani clash has brought the increasingly public dispute between the Israeli Prime Minister and New York’s mayor onto the international diplomatic stage.
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