Netanyahu expected to ‘confront’ Mamdani in UN speech amid tensions over Gaza war

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his address to the United Nations on Thursday to respond to criticism from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as tensions between the two deepen over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Netanyahu is making his first trip to New York since Mamdani took office in January. The visit comes as Israel approaches elections and faces growing criticism over its military campaign in Gaza.

In a video message issued ahead of his UN appearance, Netanyahu addressed Mamdani directly, saying he was travelling to New York to present what he described as the truth about Israeli soldiers and about the mayor.

Netanyahu also accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas, a claim the New York mayor has rejected.

Mamdani has called for Netanyahu’s arrest

Mamdani made Netanyahu’s arrest over alleged war crimes a campaign pledge during his mayoral bid, although he later said he had concluded that the city mayor lacked the legal authority to carry out such an arrest.

The mayor has continued to sharply criticise Netanyahu over Israel’s military operations in Gaza. This week, Mamdani described the Israeli prime minister as the “architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians.”

Netanyahu has rejected allegations of war crimes and defended Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

The dispute between the two leaders has drawn renewed attention ahead of Netanyahu’s UN speech, with the Israeli prime minister expected to address the criticism directly during his appearance.

Protests planned during Netanyahu’s New York visit

Netanyahu’s visit is also expected to draw protests from Israelis opposed to his right-wing government.

The tensions come as Netanyahu faces a politically uncertain period at home, with Israeli elections approaching. The Israeli leader has been seeking to defend his government’s policies while facing domestic political challenges and international criticism over the Gaza conflict.

Opinion polls suggest an Israeli general election five weeks away could end Netanyahu’s long hold on power. The campaign is unfolding amid mounting criticism of Israel’s Gaza war and without a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump.

“He’s not really speaking to the UN, he’s speaking to the Israeli public,” said former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, who expects Netanyahu’s address to resemble a “campaign speech.”

“Maybe he’s thinking, ‘If I can attack Mamdani and attack the Iranians, somebody who was wavering between voting for me and voting for (Gadi) Eisenkot may decide to vote for me,'” Oren said, referring to former military chief Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s leading rival.

Netanyahu expected not to meet Trump

Netanyahu is making an unusually short visit to the US for his UN address. After arriving early on Thursday, he is expected to fly back the same day after delivering his speech in the afternoon.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two Israeli officials said Netanyahu’s team was discussing potentially holding meetings with senior US officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, though nothing had been set.

Notably, Netanyahu is not expected to meet Trump. The two men jointly launched a war on Iran on February 28, but they found themselves on a collision course after the US and Iran agreed to an interim ceasefire that Netanyahu opposed.

Many Israelis were angered by that deal, and opinion polls showed they questioned Trump’s commitment to Israeli security, even as his administration proceeds with billions of dollars in arms sales to Israel’s government.

“A lack of any encounter with the president, a month before an Israeli election, will indicate that Trump is keeping a distance from him and will be negative for Netanyahu’s campaign,” said Nimrod Goren, president of Mitvim, an Israeli think tank focused on the country’s foreign policy.

The election is scheduled for October 27.

Israel addresses international criticism

Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu has in the past made a visual spectacle of his UN appearances, using charts, diagrams and props to warn of Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes.

Last year several delegations walked out as Netanyahu approached the lectern while supporters in the gallery cheered.

Goren said Netanyahu’s speech would likely follow a familiar script: defending Israel, confronting its critics and warning about Iran while arguing that Israel’s opposition to Tehran serves the interests of the wider international community.

He will also likely tout what he sees as his own achievements and close ties to Trump and the US, Goren said.

Israel has faced deepening diplomatic isolation since launching its war in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attacks on Israel nearly three years ago.

Netanyahu is unable to travel to many countries because of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, issued against him and his defense minister as well as the leader of Hamas in 2024.

Earlier this month, once-steadfast allies Britain, France and Canada announced sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which drew a muted response from Washington.