During his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a strong attack against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of attempting to obstruct his visit to the city, fostering an environment where Jewish residents felt unsafe, and repeatedly disseminating false information about Israel.
Accusations Against Mayor Mamdani
Netanyahu directly addressed Mayor Mamdani, stating, "Mr Mamdani, since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York. They talk to me. They tell me, 'This isn't the city we remember. It changed so quickly.' You praise criminals convicted of supporting Hamas." The Prime Minister further alleged that Mamdani had tried to prevent his presence at the UNGA, declaring, "You try to stop me from coming here. You tried to silence me. Well, you can't silence me. You can't silence the truth."
Criticism of Rama Duwaji's Social Media Activity
The Israeli leader also highlighted social media activity attributed to Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji. Netanyahu claimed Duwaji had liked posts that praised the October 7 massacre and others that denied Israel's right to exist. "Your wife liked a post praising the October 7 massacre. She liked another post saying Tel Aviv shouldn't exist. You refuse to condemn any of that," he asserted.
Mayor Mamdani's Response and Delegate Walkout
Mayor Mamdani quickly issued a response, refuting Netanyahu's claims as "baseless lies." He stated, "As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians. Yet no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity."
Adding to the dramatic scene, numerous delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall during Netanyahu's speech. Delegations from Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Authority were among those who departed. Netanyahu dismissed the departing delegates as "moral cowards" and invited others to leave, before proceeding to defend Israel's military actions and express gratitude to the US President for supporting Israel in confronting Tehran.