Netanyahu to Address UN as Mamdani Renews Arrest Call
Netanyahu will speak at the UN on Thursday after Mamdani urged his arrest; the Israeli PM responded in a video message.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to make a brief visit to New York to address the United Nations, even as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani renewed his call for the federal government to arrest him during the trip.
In a video posted to his Instagram account on Tuesday, Netanyahu directly criticised Mamdani. "Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani," he said, accusing the mayor of supporting Hamas and of inciting riots against New York's Jewish community. He added that he would use his UN appearance to "tell the truth" about Israel's soldiers and about Mamdani himself.
Mamdani has repeated his demand for Netanyahu's arrest in media interviews. Any such move is highly unlikely: neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the International Criminal Court, and the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on court staff as part of a campaign to dismantle the tribunal.
Netanyahu's stay in New York is expected to last less than 24 hours. He is not scheduled to meet President Donald Trump, who will be in Washington for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the same period.
The visit comes amid a deteriorating relationship between Netanyahu and Trump, which the Israeli leader had previously highlighted as a close alliance. With Netanyahu facing reelection at the end of October, a meeting with Trump could have boosted his standing ahead of the vote.
His speech at the UN on Thursday is expected to draw protests both inside and outside the venue.