Netanyahu to Attend UN Assembly in September Amid NYC Mayor

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on July 29 that he will attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September, despite calls from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his arrest. Netanyahu made the announcement following a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump, dismissing the mayor's stance as hateful rhetoric.

Netanyahu said he intends to "speak the truth" at the U.N. and directly confront what he described as anti-Jewish sentiment from the city's mayor. He accused Mamdani of sowing division and attempting to turn New Yorkers against the city's Jewish community. "Hes pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others. Hes turning them against New York Jews," Netanyahu stated. He further questioned the tone of the criticism, asking, "What are we in the 1930s? So much hate, so many lies."

The controversy stems from an arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court in November 2024 over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Gaza. Mayor Mamdani has characterized Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and said he is not welcome in the city, while acknowledging that...