Netanyahu Uses 40-Minute UN Speech to Target NYC Mayor Mamdani as Israel Vote Nears
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 28
Netanyahu Uses 40-Minute UN Speech to Target NYC Mayor Mamdani as Israel Vote Nears
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 28
Summary
Netanyahu devoted unusually heavy attention in his nearly 40-minute UN speech to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of antisemitism, backing Hamas and making Jews feel unsafe in the city.
The attack tied directly to Mamdani’s 2024 campaign pledge to enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu if he visited New York, a promise Mamdani later said local police lacked authority to carry out.
Mamdani replied that Netanyahu was repeating “baseless lies” to deflect from the ICC warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity, while urging the US federal government to act instead.
The speech also fits Netanyahu’s domestic political strategy before next month’s Israeli election, with Likud already using Mamdani in campaign ads and online videos to rally right-wing voters around external enemies.