Netanyahu attacks NYC Mayor Mamdani in UN speech, calls him antisemitic

During a defiant UN General Assembly speech on September 24, 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani 'the antisemitic mayor of New York' and accused him of making the city unsafe for Jewish residents. Mamdani, NYC's first Muslim mayor, rejected the claims as 'baseless lies' meant to sanitize genocide in Gaza. While some conservative groups backed Netanyahu, prominent New York Jewish Democrats and Governor Kathy Hochul defended Mamdani, criticizing Netanyahu's rhetoric as a dangerous political ploy.

Netanyahu's UN speech accusations against Mamdani

• ▪Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani "the antisemitic mayor of New York" and accused him of being "buddies" with Hamas during a UN General Assembly speech on September 24, 2026
• ▪Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted during his UN speech on September 24, 2026, that many Jewish residents no longer feel safe in New York City since Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor

Mamdani's criticism of Netanyahu

• ▪New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's UN speech by stating that Netanyahu used the address to repeat "baseless lies" to sanitize a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza
• ▪New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has repeatedly characterized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and the "architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."

New York officials' defense of Mamdani

• ▪New York Governor Kathy Hochul defended New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's characterization of Mamdani as a Hamas supporter was false and damaged Netanyahu's credibility
• ▪Several Jewish Democratic officials, including Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Thursday UN remarks as a political ploy that could incite violence

Walkout during Netanyahu's UN speech

• ▪The Palestinian Mission to the United Nations urged member nations to collectively walk out of the General Assembly once Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was announced
• ▪Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's UN General Assembly speech on September 24, 2026, was met with a walkout by dozens of international delegates, while his own team applauded

Mamdani's efforts to arrest Netanyahu

• ▪During Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign, he pledged to direct New York City police to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
• ▪In July 2026, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani conceded that his administration lacked the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but subsequently urged the U.S. federal government to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant

Israeli consul general's criticism of Mamdani

• ▪Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of being directly responsible for anti-Jewish hate crimes in the city
• ▪Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis compared New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to Nazi Germany, drawing condemnation from Mamdani's office

Hate crime statistics in New York City

• ▪Overall hate crimes in New York City increased by over 15% through August 2026, with 425 incidents recorded compared to 367 during the same period in 2025
• ▪According to New York Police Department statistics, anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York City increased by 8% in 2026, accounting for 229 of the 425 total hate crimes recorded through August

Debatable claims

• ▪The delegate walkout during Benjamin Netanyahu's UN speech was justified
• ▪Benjamin Netanyahu's UN speech was a political ploy to deflect from domestic troubles
• ▪Zohran Mamdani has made New York City unsafe for Jewish residents
• ▪Zohran Mamdani's criticism of Israel is antisemitic