Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he will travel to New York in September to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), dismissing strong objections from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Netanyahu also accused the mayor of fostering division, hatred, and antisemitism in the city.
Speaking on Fox News Sunday’s Sunday Morning Futures on Sunday (July 26), Netanyahu said, “My response to Mayor Mamdani is this: I will come to New York. I will speak the truth at the United Nations and stand up for Israel and the U.S.-Israel alliance.”
The remarks came after Mayor Mamdani recently described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and said he was not welcome in New York City. In response, the Israeli leader accused the mayor of being sympathetic to Hamas and of indirectly supporting the group’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
During the interview, Netanyahu also alleged that members of Mamdani’s family, including his wife, had celebrated the October 7 attack. However, he did not provide evidence to support the claim. He described the Hamas assault as the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
Addressing international criticism over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, including allegations of genocide, Netanyahu rejected the accusations. He argued that Hamas seeks Israel’s destruction and deliberately operates among civilians while preventing them from moving to safer areas, saying this makes the group responsible for civilian casualties.
Criticizing New York City’s leadership, Netanyahu said a mayor should represent all communities equally, but accused Mamdani of pitting one community against another. He claimed such rhetoric had increased feelings of insecurity among Jewish residents of the city.
The Israeli prime minister also referred to a recent attack outside a New York synagogue, asserting that it occurred the day after Mamdani’s remarks about him. However, he did not present evidence establishing a link between the two events.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that Raul Morales, 51, has been charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder as a hate crime. Prosecutors allege that on Thursday, Morales first stabbed an Asian man and later attacked a Jewish man who was leaving a synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Netanyahu said political opposition at New York City Hall would not deter him from attending the UN General Assembly. He reaffirmed that he would travel to New York this autumn to speak in support of Israel and the U.S.-Israel partnership on the global stage.
Last Wednesday, Mayor Mamdani called on the U.S. federal government to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu. He argued that individuals accused of war crimes, including the Israeli prime minister, should not be allowed to move freely in New York.
Source: Fox News, CNN.