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Welcome to the start of hell week, otherwise known as the chaos that strangles Manhattan when international heads of state arrive to speak at the United Nations.
Congestion is certain to be worse than its usual nightmare amid street closures as Secret Service motorcades move 200 petty potentates around town.
The war in Iran will be top of mind, with President Trump scheduled to speak Tuesday, and the president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, taking the General Assembly podium Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gets his turn Thursday.
Reports say the State Department granted visas to a small group of Iranians, including the president and foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, while restricting their travel here and banned them from buying luxury goods.
Although no meetings between the warring nations have been scheduled, I would be shocked if one doesn’t materialize. Trump has never met the Iranian leaders, and his desire to end the war before the midterm elections, combined with his fondness for face-to-face talks, presents a timely chance to strike a deal.
Without mentioning his UN trip, the president said last week, “Hopefully we are toward the end of the war.”
For that to be true, the Iranians must want peace enough to accept Trump’s demand to give up its enriched uranium and nuke facilities.
The president is scheduled to meet with Gulf Arab leaders Wednesday, according to Axios, which said invitations were sent to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Trump also returns to Washington Wednesday to welcome Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a two-day summit.
Whatever happens inside the East Side Puzzle Palace will be far more orderly than the disruptions expected to engulf surrounding streets.
Although the left’s hatred of Trump is usually sufficient fodder to gin up camera-ready anger, this year’s protests could be larger than ever and turn violent — thanks to Gotham’s radical rookie mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
His hatred of Israel and Netanyahu is adding a combustible and possibly violent element to the usual mayhem.
Netanyahu, in the midst of a re-election campaign, is scheduled to arrive in New York Wednesday, speak Thursday, and return home immediately after his speech.
If history is repeated, he’ll be speaking to a hall of mostly empty chairs as delegates disappear in protest.
They will cite Gaza and Iran, but in reality, they hate Israel because of its success and military might.
The NYPD is preparing for trouble while Netanyahu is here, and police presence will be heavy on land and in the East River, and reportedly will include counter-drone teams in the sky.
The added danger stems from the mayor calling Netanyahu a “war criminal” and the “architect of a horrific genocide” in Gaza.
In July, he accused Netanyahu of being “responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, for the maiming of tens of thousands of children, as those who survive undergo amputation without anesthesia.”
Mamdani’s litany of lies included claims that Netanyahu targeted children’s hospitals and maternity care centers and blocked food and humanitarian aid.
Mam’s call to arms
Those and other Hamas’ talking points are widely amplified by far-left media outlets and on anti-semitic social media platforms.
Mamdani also refuses to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which is properly understood as a call for the elimination of Israel. And last May, he became the first mayor in six decades to skip the “Salute to Israel” parade on Fifth Avenue.
Mamdani made it clear he wanted Netanyahu arrested on the basis of an indictment by the anti-Israel International Criminal Court because of Israeli military actions in Gaza.
When the mayor belatedly learned the US doesn’t recognize the court or its jurisdiction, he openly flirted with having the NYPD execute the warrant and arrest Netanyahu.
The harebrained idea collapsed, but the well-publicized effort served as the Pied Piper’s signal to his fellow travelers that they should raise hell during Netanyahu’s visit.
The mayor was most explicit in July when he stressed that New Yorkers had the right to protest the Israeli leader’s appearance and called protests “one of the bedrocks of our city.”
“It is something that has been a part of what makes our city so special, that New Yorkers can express themselves whether they are in support or in opposition no matter on whatever topic,” he continued, and added: “I’ve always said that when we respect our Constitution, we also respect our First Amendment. And here in New York City it will always be a place where you can exercise that.”
The call to arms was clear, but last week he tried to wash his hands of any responsibility if violence erupts.
“I do not have any plans to attend any protest, “ Mamdani said. He also claimed that “I have never encouraged New Yorkers to protest. What I have always told them is that they have the right to do so in this city.”
Oh, please.
He certainly has not fooled Danny Danon, Israel’s UN ambassador. He told the Post Friday that Mamdani had fanned the flames for Netanyahu’s visit and is now trying to avoid any responsibility.
“He’s very clever, “Danon said, “but you cannot set the fire, then say this,” meaning Mamdani’s bid to avoid blame.
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