Mamdani Responds to Netanyahu's Criticism During UN Address

<p>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that he found it "strange" to be called out by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during Netanyahu's address to the United Nations General Assembly in late September.</p><p>In a conversation with podcaster Theo Von, Mamdani recounted the moment, saying, "I was having a meeting with the prime minister of the Netherlands at the LGBTQ center in downtown Manhattan. Then I get back from that meeting, and it's like, ‘Oh, by the way, here's what he was saying at the U.N.’"</p><p>During his speech, Netanyahu criticized Mamdani directly, accusing him of spreading "lies" about Israel and attempting to prevent him from speaking in New York City.</p><p>Netanyahu stated, "So, to all those spreading these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall or in the office of the antisemitic mayor of New York, I say this: Shame on you. Shame on you for distorting the facts. Shame on you for inverting victim and aggressor. Shame on you for spitting in the face of truth, Mr. Mamdani."</p><p>Mamdani had previously promised to have Netanyahu arrested during his mayoral campaign and later called on the federal government to execute an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) if Netanyahu visits New York.</p><p>The ICC issued the warrant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu and the Israeli government have rejected these allegations and challenged the court's actions.</p><p>When asked by Von if he would have arrested Netanyahu if given the chance, Mamdani replied, "If I had my say, the U.S. government would have joined the ICC, honored every single warrant that they've issued."</p><p>Von remarked on the personal nature of Netanyahu mentioning Mamdani by name, to which Mamdani responded, "All of this is an attempt to distract from responsibility, name as many people as possible, try and make it into a back and forth. It's not about me and him. It's about the fact that he's the architect of a genocide. And it's like, ‘Yeah, if I was the architect of a genocide, I would probably talk about anything but that.’"</p>