Netanyahu also attacked Qatar and Türkiye, accusing them of spreading anti-Semitism and false information about Israel in the world. And he attacked critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 75,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials. “Accusing Israel of genocide is the biggest lie of the century,” he said. The leader also suggested that growing settler violence in the West Bank, a growing threat to Palestinian communities there, was the work of “a handful of young juvenile delinquents.” Netanyahu arrived in New York for what was expected to be a whirlwind trip that also highlighted the growing isolation of the US ally over its attack on the Gaza Strip. With only a handful of diplomatic meetings on the sidelines of the assembly and Trump’s unwavering focus on his summit with China’s Xi Jinping, the prime minister was expected to return to Israel shortly after his speech to return in time for the main Jewish holiday of Sukkot on Friday night. “I leave tonight for New York to defend, from the UN podium, Israel and the IDF soldiers,” the prime minister said in a video Wednesday night before leaving. “You can hear the terrible lies that are being spread there.” Netanyahu expected delegates to observe an annual tradition of marching in protest of Israel’s conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip. But such a spectacle would also likely please the prime minister’s domestic supporters, for whom he has presented himself as a defiant truth-teller defending Israel on the global stage. While much of the world has condemned Israel for the huge loss of civilian life and the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, Netanyahu’s main domestic challenge comes from an Israeli right that accuses him of not being tough enough in the country’s multi-front war against Iran and its allied groups. “Before giving the speech, Netanyahu hinted that he would focus on populist and patriotic causes. In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, Netanyahu took aim at Mamdani, who had vowed to arrest him for crimes against humanity before later acknowledging that he lacked jurisdiction to do so. Appearing to adopt the stance of a professional wrestler and looking directly into the camera, Netanyahu accused the mayor of supporting Hamas (something Mamdani has strenuously denied) and fomenting unrest against New York Jews. York. He added that he would “tell the truth about you” and “tell the truth about our heroic soldiers.” When asked about Netanyahu’s comments, Mamdani said in a press conference on Tuesday that the Israeli army had killed an 11-year-old boy in an area considered safe in Gaza, “so that’s what I have to say to his video.” Netanyahu’s mention of Israeli soldiers appeared to be a reference to “NAZA,” a documentary made by two Israeli filmmakers in which 24 Anonymous Israelis described as military and intelligence officials, speak of the cynical process by which the country’s military assessed the need for civilian deaths during the Gaza war. A popular target that has irritated Israeli leaders ahead of the election, “NAZA” has won plaudits abroad but condemnation at home. In his speeches at the General Assembly, with props, jokes and tricks, he said his speech would include “surprises.” explosives that the Israelis used to kill dozens of Hezbollah supporters in 2024. “Remember the pagers? Do you remember these things? Do you remember them?” Netanyahu said. “Well, I can tell you this: Hezbollah certainly remembers you.” Netanyahu also taunted Iranian delegates with a Starlink satellite internet device, telling them that “when they inevitably defect, they too will be able to freely tell their story on social media.” Netanyahu holds up a Starlink device on Thursday. Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images Last year, he told an audience that his speech was being broadcast to Gaza via huge speakers and mobile phones so that Israeli hostages trapped in Gaza could hear him speak. He also wore a large QR code on his jacket, encouraging the public to activate the code to visit a website with a video showing the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 in which around 1,200 people were killed. In previous years, Netanyahu brandished regional maps to make his points. Two years ago, he showed two maps showing the “blessing” of Israel’s influence in contrast to the “curse” of Iran’s growing power. And in 2012, more than a decade before the United States and Israel attacked Iran in what they said was an attempt to prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Netanyahu showed a cartoon of an Iranian nuclear weapon with a “red line” for its maximum level of enrichment. Matt Bradley reported from Tel Aviv and Corky Siemaszko reported from New York City.
