Key facts
- NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with world leaders including Ireland's PM Micheal Martin, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Spain's President Pedro Sánchez during the UN General Assembly week.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his UN address to criticize Mamdani, accusing him of spreading lies and antisemitism.
- Netanyahu defended Israel's actions in Gaza, stating 'Israel didn't commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide.'
- Mamdani accused Netanyahu of repeating 'baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians' and noted an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
- Netanyahu previously met with US President Donald Trump at Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani emerged as a notable figure during the United Nations General Assembly week, attracting meetings with various world leaders while also becoming a target of criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mamdani, who took office on January 1, engaged in several high-profile interactions, including riding the subway with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, exchanging soccer jerseys with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and discussing artificial intelligence with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. He also met with students and participated in discussions on economic policy with leaders such as Spain's President Pedro Sánchez, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and European Council President António Costa.
These engagements stood in contrast to the sharp words directed at Mamdani by Prime Minister Netanyahu during his address to the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of spreading lies and antisemitism, stating that the mayor's attempts to silence him would fail. Mamdani had previously campaigned on a promise to have Netanyahu arrested for alleged war crimes, though he later determined he lacked the legal authority. He described Netanyahu as 'the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians.'
Netanyahu defended Israel's actions in Gaza, asserting that 'Israel didn't commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide.' Mamdani responded by accusing Netanyahu of repeating 'baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians' and pointed to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Earlier in the week, Mamdani also met with US President Donald Trump at Gracie Mansion, with Trump expressing confidence in Mamdani's potential as mayor.