Netanyahu Targets New York Mayor Mamdani at UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of trying to prevent him from visiting the city and of attempting to silence him over his criticism of Israel. He also referred to social-media posts that Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, had reportedly liked, including posts relating to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Mamdani has previously said his wife is a private individual and has no official role in his administration. India Today

Mamdani rejected Netanyahu’s remarks, accusing the Israeli prime minister of repeating what he described as baseless claims about the war in Gaza. Netanyahu also defended Israel’s military actions during his nearly 40-minute UN speech and displayed a pager while referring to Hezbollah. Several delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall as he began speaking, prompting Netanyahu to criticise those who left.