Netanyahu released a short video on Tuesday, vowing to speak at the UN General Assembly this Thursday and expose what he calls the "truth" about Israel’s soldiers and the "war criminal" accusations leveled by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The prime minister described Mamdani’s CNN interview, where the mayor branded him a genocide architect, as a "shame" and a false narrative.
On the 7th of October 2023, Hamas militants launched a surprise assault that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis and abducted 251, according to Israeli authorities. Israel has responded with a massive air and ground campaign that Gaza health officials say has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, a figure that lumps fighters and civilians together. The Israeli government insists it is targeting Hamas militants, not civilians.
The mayor’s remarks have sparked a polarized reaction. Some Republican lawmakers have accused Mamdani of antisemitism, while Mamdani has insisted his criticism of Israel is not antisemitic but pro‑Palestinian. A New York City resident who attends synagogue said she feels "on edge" amid the rising tensions, while a Palestinian mother in Gaza told a local clinic that the bombings have taken away her children’s schooling.
Israeli spokesman Doron Spielman told Reuters that the UN platform is “one of the most important stages for the Prime Minister of Israel” and that Netanyahu will use it to present Israel’s perspective to a global audience that is often “buying a false narrative.” The United Nations General Assembly will convene on Thursday, where Netanyahu is expected to deliver a speech that could shape international discourse on the Gaza conflict and the accusations of genocide.