Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his United Nations address on Thursday to criticize New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as the Israeli leader faces international pressure and a closely watched election at home.
Netanyahu said in a video statement this week that he was traveling to New York to defend Israeli soldiers and respond directly to Mamdani. The mayor has accused Netanyahu of war crimes and described him as responsible for what Mamdani called a genocide against Palestinians. Netanyahu rejects allegations of war crimes.
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani pledged to seek Netanyahu's arrest if the Israeli prime minister visited New York, citing an International Criminal Court warrant. Mamdani later acknowledged that he did not have the legal authority to carry out such an arrest.
The UN appearance comes roughly five weeks before Israel's October 27 general election. Opinion polls cited in the source article suggest the vote could threaten Netanyahu's long tenure in power. Former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren said he expects the speech to be aimed heavily at Israeli voters, with Netanyahu likely to emphasize security, Iran and criticism from abroad.
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