Defiant Netanyahu attacks NYC mayor at UN speech defending Israel

The Israeli prime minister claimed “many Jews no longer feel safe in New York” after Zohran Mamdani, a fervent critic of the country’s military operations, took office earlier this year.MANHATTAN (CN) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his highly anticipated address on Thursday at the United Nations General Assembly, where he defended his use of military force in Gaza amid an ongoing conflict that has drawn international condemnation and calls of genocide.One of his fiercest critics, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is an ardent supporter of the Palestinian cause who once vowed to arrest Netanyahu for war crimes if he ever came to New York City. That never came to fruition, and Netanyahu delivered his speech at the U.N. headquarters in Midtown Manhattan as planned.“Mr. Mamdani, you tried to stop me from coming here,” Netanyahu said. “You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth, and here’s the simple truth. Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide.”Netanyahu addressed a half-empty General Assembly Hall, as delegates from around the world exited in droves to protest the Israeli leader. Numerous human rights groups and international bodies, including the International Criminal Court, have found Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.The current Palestinian death toll has surged to over 70,000 since the conflict started in 2023.When campaigning for mayor, Mamdani promised to act on an International Criminal Court arrest warrant to detain Netanyahu in New York City. He later walked back on that vow after discovering he lacked the authority, however.Netanyahu lambasted the Democratic mayor throughout his speech, calling him antisemitic and criticizing him for his association with the likes of controversial left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.“Mr. Mamdani, since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York,” he said. “They talk to me, they tell me, ‘This isn’t the city we remember. It changed so quickly.’”Netanyahu insisted his war with Palestine was no genocide, contrary to Mamdani’s position. He called those who left the General Assembly Hall to protest him “moral cowards” who should instead be thanking him for kneecapping Iran’s nuclear program.By land mass, Israel takes up but a small percentage of the Arab world, Netanyahu added.“Yet they accuse us, tiny Israel, of colonialism,” he said. “And who’s accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God’s sake, they invented the term.”While tension between Israel and Palestine has persisted for decades, it escalated significantly after the events of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups killed 1,200 people in Israel. Netanyahu on Thursday called it “the darkest day in Israel’s history” and said it was, proportional to the U.S. population, equivalent to “16 9/11s” for Israel.In response to the attack, Israel launched an ongoing bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip that has leveled civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and apartment buildings. Israeli officials have argued Hamas uses these soft targets as cover, claims repeated by Netanyahu during his speech at the U.N.In 2024, Israel detonated hundreds of beepers, sold by a Mossad shell company, across Lebanon and Syria in a targeted attack on Hezbollah combatants. The unprecedented operation killed 42, including 12 civilians, and left more than 3,500 injured.“Israel’s hammered Hamas; we pummeled Hezbollah. You remember the beepers?” Netanyahu quipped, referencing the attack. “Well, I can tell you this, Hezbollah certainly remembers them.”The prime minister’s speech came just hours after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was denied a visa to enter the U.S. for a second year in a row, addressed the General Assembly via pre-recorded video Thursday morning. Abbas argued Israel’s military operations were indeed “a war of genocide” and warned settlements in the West Bank are rapidly expanding.“For how long will some states continue to remain silent about Israel, or supply it with the weapons it uses against our people?” he asked.Abbas added that he supported President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for peace in Gaza, but has yet to see it materialize. During his speech, Netanyahu lauded Trump for his partnership. The United States continues to supply the most arms and munitions to Israel of any other nation.“In this battle against the barbarians, we’ve had no greater partner than President Trump,” Netanyahu said.Pro-Palestinian protests raged in Manhattan as Netanyahu spoke. More than 100 were reportedly arrested, including several celebrities and local politicians.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads