New York Mayor Mamdani Hits Back As Netanyahu Mounts Direct Attack in UN Speech
New York City's first Muslim and South Asian mayor, Zohran Mamdani, pushed back against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, accusing him of spreading "baseless lies meant to sanitize the genocide of Palestinians" after Netanyahu fiercely attacked him in his UN General Assembly speech.
Netanyahu directly targeted Mamdani, branding him as the "antisemitic mayor of New York", claiming that Jewish residents no longer feel safe under his leadership and accusing him of associating with "Hamas buddies." He mockingly referenced Mamdani's previous campaign promises to have him jailed, saying: "Mr. Mamdani, you tried to stop me from coming here... you try to silence me. Well, you can't silence me."
Mamdani, known for his courage and conviction, immediately counter-punched with a statement highlighting that Netanyahu faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. He reiterated that Netanyahu is the "architect of a horrific genocide" and accused him of using the global stage to cover up the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians," Mamdani said in his statement.
Mamdani did not publish his full response on social media but instead shared a video from an olive tree planting ceremony held at his mayoral residence on Wednesday night with Palestinian families from Gaza, captioned: "Last night I planted an olive tree at Gracie Mansion with Palestinian families from Gaza. May peace be in our future."
Netanyahu's speech also angered Qatar after he dedicated a section to the Gulf nation, accusing it of spreading lies about Israel and funding US universities to "brainwash young minds to hate Israel, hate America, and hate the West."
"This is the same Qatar that hosts the Hamas butchers of October 7," Netanyahu claimed.
A senior Qatari diplomat retaliated, stating: "Speaking to a half-empty room during his UN remarks says plenty about the support for this message." Dozens of envoys walked out, some jeering and booing, as Netanyahu delivered his speech.
"Blaming Qatar for political failures does not change the facts," wrote Qatar's deputy ambassador to the US on X.