Netanyahu used his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24 to reject allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, while directly confronting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has repeatedly accused Israel’s leadership of grave violations against Palestinians.
The Israeli prime minister told the assembly that Israel had not committed genocide and instead argued that its military campaign had prevented a far greater massacre by Hamas. He also defended Israeli soldiers and said Israel had taken steps to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian assistance. These statements represent the Israeli government’s position and remain sharply disputed by Palestinian officials and critics of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s remarks came after months of increasingly public exchanges with Mamdani. During his mayoral campaign and afterward, Mamdani described the Israeli leader as a war criminal and accused him of responsibility for what he called genocide against Palestinians. Mamdani had also said he would seek to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister, although he later acknowledged that New York City officials do not have independent authority to execute the warrant.
The dispute moved onto the UN stage when Netanyahu addressed Mamdani directly during his speech. He accused the mayor of spreading what he described as false claims about Israel and argued that Jewish residents of New York had become less secure. Mamdani has rejected accusations of antisemitism and has maintained that his criticism is directed at Israeli government policy and military actions rather than Jews as a group.
The genocide allegation itself remains a matter of international legal and political dispute. South Africa brought a case against Israel before the International Court of Justice under the Genocide Convention. The court has issued provisional measures concerning the protection of Palestinians, but the case has not resulted in a final judgment determining whether Israel committed genocide. Israel has rejected the allegation and argues that its military campaign is directed against Hamas rather than Palestinians as a people.
Netanyahu also sought to place the Gaza conflict in the broader context of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. Israel subsequently launched a major air and ground operation in Gaza. Gaza health authorities have reported a death toll exceeding 70,000 Palestinians, although the figures do not by themselves distinguish between combatants and civilians. The scale of Palestinian casualties has become a central element of international criticism of Israel’s military campaign.
Netanyahu’s appearance was accompanied by visible opposition inside and outside the UN complex. Several delegations walked out during his speech, while protesters gathered in Manhattan and called for an end to US military support for Israel. New York police arrested more than 100 demonstrators after authorities said they failed to comply with orders to disperse. Supporters of the Israeli government also demonstrated in the city, reflecting the deep divisions surrounding the conflict.
The Israeli prime minister also defended Israel’s conduct by pointing to humanitarian measures, including assistance reaching Gaza and vaccination efforts. He described the Israel Defense Forces as a highly moral military and argued that the country’s actions should be judged against the threat posed by Hamas. Critics, however, continue to point to the civilian death toll, destruction and humanitarian crisis in Gaza as evidence of what they regard as unacceptable conduct. These competing interpretations remain central to international debate.
Netanyahu’s confrontation with Mamdani therefore reflected a wider argument over Israel’s war in Gaza, international law and the responsibilities of governments during armed conflict. Mamdani responded after the speech by accusing the Israeli leader of using the UN platform to repeat what he called baseless claims and referred again to the ICC arrest warrant. The warrant alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity; it is not a final judicial determination of guilt.
The exchange underscored how the Gaza conflict has become intertwined with domestic politics in the United States and international diplomacy. With the ICJ case still pending and the humanitarian situation continuing to generate international concern, the competing claims made at the UN are likely to remain part of a much larger debate over accountability, civilian protection and the future political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
