Netanyahu attacks rivals in UN speech as envoys walk out

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday to criticize Iran, Britain, France, Turkey and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Dozens of envoys left the chamber during the address, some jeering or booing, while Netanyahu’s team stood and applauded. The session’s presiding officer called for order, reports said. Netanyahu addressed the assembly as Israel’s October 27 election approached. He described Mamdani as antisemitic and claimed that many Jewish residents of New York felt less safe since Mamdani was elected. Those were Netanyahu’s assertions; the reports did not independently establish them. Mamdani has criticized Israel’s Gaza campaign and previously said he would seek to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu if he visited New York, before acknowledging that the city lacked authority to carry it out. The reports said the ICC acted against Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes related to Israel’s Gaza campaign. They described the action differently, and did not provide the underlying court document. Netanyahu denies the allegations.