Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his UN address to berate New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for calling him a war criminal, a feud that highlights the Israeli leader’s growing isolation ahead of elections at home that he may lose.
Addressing the mayor directly in a video statement this week, Netanyahu said he was going to New York “to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers” and “to tell the truth about you.” He falsely accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas militants.
Mamdani campaigned for office on a promise to have Netanyahu arrested for alleged war crimes should he visit the largest US city but later said he determined he lacked the legal authority to do so. This week, Mamdani described Netanyahu as “the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians”.
Netanyahu, who rejects war crimes allegations, will be making his first visit to New York since Mamdani took office in January. Israelis opposed to Netanyahu’s right-wing government are planning to protest in New York.
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