The months-in-the-making clash between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Benjamin Netanyahu will come to a head on Thursday when the Israeli prime minister delivers a speech before the U.N. General Assembly in Manhattan.<\/p>\n
The two are poised to become the focal point of the annual gathering of the world\u2019s most powerful people, which brings motorcades, gridlock and demonstrations to the city. This year\u2019s event comes with an additional layer of drama: During his mayoral campaign last year, Mamdani threatened to arrest Netanyahu on an International Criminal Court warrant. The mayor later clarified he doesn\u2019t have the authority to arrest the prime minister, but has still called him a \u201cwar criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a CNN interview released on Tuesday, Mamdani maintained his criticism, saying the warrant against Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity is \u201csomething that should be honored, because what we want to see, and we\u2019ve been talking about this today, is a faith in our politics, a faith in accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu teased his upcoming remarks on Tuesday with a video where he falsely accused the mayor of supporting Hamas and inciting riots against Jewish New Yorkers. He also delivered a direct message to Mamdani. \u201cI’m coming to the U.N.,\u201d he said. \u201cI’m going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers and I’m going to tell the truth about you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about the video, the mayor called Netanyahu the \u201carchitect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians\u201d and referenced ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza.<\/p>\n
The NYPD has warned protests are anticipated near the U.N. on Manhattan’s East Side throughout the General Assembly. Mamdani has said he won\u2019t attend protests against Netanyahu \u2014 noting he would uphold the right to demonstrate peacefully.<\/p>\n
Sal Albanese, a former city councilmember who advised Mamdani on public safety, said he believed the mayor could balance the two interests of politics and public safety. Mamdani\u2019s pro-Palestinian activism is a key part of his identity that fueled his election and continued popularity, he said. Similarly, protests are a fixture of the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cNetanyahu is obviously going to drive a lot of people on the street to protest,\u201d he said. \u201cAs long as they do it peacefully, I don\u2019t think it will be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n