Netanyahu denounces NYC Mayor Mamdani as antisemitic during UN address

During a United Nations session, Benjamin Netanyahu confronted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, branding him antisemitic and accusing him of inverting victim and aggressor in the Oct. 7 conflict. Netanyahu cited Mamdani's past remarks that labeled Israel a genocide perpetrator and his refusal to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada.” He warned that such incitement has already led to a rise in antisemitic hate crimes against New Yorkers, making many Jews feel threatened.

The Israeli leader also criticized major American Jewish organizations for failing to call out extremist rhetoric, describing their silence as dangerous. He argued that Jews must speak out with the same forceful language used by their opponents to counter the growing threat. The speech aimed to rally global support for Israel while exposing what Netanyahu sees as the moral complacency of some Jewish leadership in the United States.