At the United Nations on Friday, Mayor Eric Adams expressed a warm welcome to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In contrast, Zohran Mamdani, the presumed frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for city hall, vocally criticized the Israeli leader, pledging to pursue his arrest if elected.
Adams engaged briefly with Netanyahu after the Prime Minister’s defiant speech at the UN General Assembly, which faced a boycott by some delegates. The mayor’s office released images of him shaking hands with Netanyahu and posing alongside him and his wife, Sara.
In his remarks, Adams expressed pride in meeting Netanyahu, noting, “I want to thank him for defending the Western world and our way of life.”
“While we might not always see eye to eye with these leaders, New York City has always been a sanctuary for diverse beliefs,” he added.
“Allowing everyone to express their views freely is central to our identity as a city and a nation, and although some may attempt to undermine that today, I will continue to uphold it,” Adams stated.
Adams, who made a last-minute adjustment to his schedule to attend the morning session of the UN General Assembly where Netanyahu spoke, became the first New York City mayor since Michael Bloomberg in 2012 to engage in a one-on-one meeting with the long-serving Israeli leader.
The kind sentiments expressed by Adams were sharply contrasted by Mamdani, who continues to criticize Netanyahu and question the intentions of politicians who back him.
<p“Mamdani criticized Netanyahu's address, stating on social media, ‘This morning, Benjamin Netanyahu will address the United Nations — an organization that has determined his administration is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,’” he tweeted.
“While a mayor cannot put an end to these injustices, they can represent the values of our city: advocating for human rights for all, including Palestinians, and fostering a desire for peace and justice,” he added.
The socialist assembly member from Queens has been a loud critic of Netanyahu, pledging to have the NYPD arrest him if he visits New York City.
He has frequently pointed to the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court that was issued last year against Netanyahu for alleged “crimes against humanity and war crimes” amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Notably, the US does not acknowledge the ICC’s jurisdiction in this matter.
During a separate press conference on Friday afternoon, Mamdani labeled Adams’ words as offensive to residents throughout the five boroughs.
“For a mayor to attend the UN, watch a speech, and then express gratitude to Benjamin Netanyahu for defending the Western way of life is egregious. Those are the words Eric Adams chose to use. I cannot fully articulate the offense it brings to New Yorkers across the city,” he remarked to journalists.
“What words could possibly justify describing the death of a child every hour for nearly two years as a defense of our way of life?” he questioned.
Netanyahu was one of numerous global leaders participating in this week’s 80th UN General Assembly.
— Additional reporting by Hannah Fierick
