Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “tell the truth” about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani when he addresses the UN General Assembly later this week.
Netanyahu, 74, fired off a blistering video message on X Tuesday, directly targeting the mayor over his support for protests against the Israeli leader’s upcoming visit and his accusations of genocide in Gaza. The prime minister’s social-media broadside comes days before his scheduled UN speech and follows Mamdani’s renewed demands that Netanyahu be arrested upon arrival in New York.
“Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani. Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews,” Netanyahu wrote on the platform.
The mayor has become an increasingly vocal critic of the Israeli government since taking office. In July, Mamdani called for New Yorkers to protest Netanyahu’s visit, though he has since attempted to distance himself from that statement. He also campaigned on a promise to personally arrest the prime minister, only to later concede he lacks the authority to do so.
“I’m coming to the UN. I’m going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers and I’m gonna tell the truth about you,” Netanyahu vowed in his video.
Mamdani, who met with President Trump at Gracie Mansion Monday, used an unscheduled interview that same day to double down on his criminal accusations against the Israeli leader. He told the network the International Criminal Court should intervene in Netanyahu’s case.
“When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be — a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people,” the mayor said.
The mayor pushed back again when confronted with Netanyahu’s video during a Tuesday press conference on an unrelated topic. He dismissed the prime minister’s claims as false and redirected attention to the ICC warrant against Netanyahu.
“We all know that what the prime minister has said in that video is not true,” Mamdani told reporters.
“What we do know to actually be the truth when it comes to the prime minister is that he is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity,” he continued. “And as the prime minister, he is the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians. And just a few days ago, killed an 11-year-old boy in what is deemed to be a safe zone in Gaza.”
Mamdani’s arrest rhetoric has repeatedly run up against practical and legal constraints. The United States is not a signatory to the ICC, leaving federal enforcement of any warrant unlikely. Despite his public calls for action on the warrant — including demands that federal authorities intervene — the mayor acknowledged he did not raise the issue with Trump during their Monday meeting.
“The focus of the conversation that I have with the president is New York City and New Yorkers,” he said Tuesday.
The confrontation between the two leaders has escalated rapidly since Mamdani’s July call for protests, which Netanyahu referenced in his video while accusing the mayor of backtracking. Mamdani’s shifting position on personally arresting Netanyahu — from campaign trail promise to admitted impossibility — has drawn scrutiny as he continues to demand others take action against the visiting leader.
Netanyahu’s UN address is expected to draw significant attention amid the ongoing war in Gaza and the ICC’s pursuit of his arrest. The prime minister has framed his appearance as an opportunity to defend Israel’s military conduct and challenge his critics directly.