Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday to launch a direct and personal attack on Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of antisemitism and of making Jewish New Yorkers feel unsafe in their own city. Netanyahu claimed Mamdani had tried to block his visit and silence him, then rejected that outright, insisting the truth could not be silenced. He went further, pointing to Mamdani's ties to figures who have defended or downplayed the October 7 attack, his praise for people convicted of aiding Hamas, and his hosting of a journalist accused of suppressing hostage-torture footage. Netanyahu also referenced social media posts liked by Mamdani's wife that appeared to praise the October 7 massacre and question Israel's right to exist, saying Mamdani had refused to condemn any of it. He closed his remarks on Mamdani by flatly denying accusations of genocide, arguing instead that Israel's actions had prevented one.

The speech triggered chaos inside the chamber, with numerous delegates walking out before and during Netanyahu's remarks, while outside, protests in New York led to nearly two dozen arrests. Mamdani fired back in a statement shortly after, accusing Netanyahu of repeating baseless claims to cover up what he called Israel's ongoing actions against Palestinians, and pointed to the outstanding International Criminal Court warrant against the Israeli leader. The exchange lands at a tense moment for both men, with Netanyahu facing mounting international criticism over the Gaza war and Mamdani having previously vowed, before softening his stance, to see the warrant enforced if Netanyahu ever set foot in the city. Despite the hostility, Netanyahu pressed ahead with his visit and delivered his fifteenth address to the General Assembly, using the platform to defend Israel's military campaigns while turning much of his fire directly on New York's own mayor.