Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video message criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, vowing to "tell the truth" about the mayor during his upcoming address at the UN General Assembly.
Netanyahu, in a video posted on X, stated, "Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani. Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews."
This exchange follows Mamdani's earlier calls for protests against Netanyahu's visit to New York and his statements accusing the Israeli leader of perpetrating a "genocide" in Gaza. Mamdani has also acknowledged he lacks the political authority to fulfill a campaign promise to personally arrest the prime minister. Earlier in July, Mamdani had called for New Yorkers to protest Netanyahu's visit, a sentiment he appears to be distancing himself from.
During an interview with CNN, Mamdani reiterated his stance, stating, "When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be — a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people." He also referenced an 11-year-old boy killed in Gaza, calling it a genocide. Mamdani also commented on Netanyahu's video message, telling reporters, "We all know that what the prime minister has said in that video is not true." He added, "What we do know to actually be the truth when it comes to the prime minister is that he is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity."
Despite his strong rhetoric regarding an arrest warrant, Mamdani stated that the topic of Netanyahu's potential arrest was not discussed during his meeting with President Trump. He indicated that the focus of his conversation with the president was on New York City and its residents.