New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated Wednesday that he has no plans to attend protests during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.
The announcement comes less than two months after Mamdani publicly told New Yorkers they had the right to protest Netanyahu’s visit, leaving the decision entirely up to them.
“I do not have any plans to attend any protest at the UNGA,” Mamdani said Wednesday, pushing back against characterizations of his earlier remarks.
The mayor went further, insisting he had never directly urged New Yorkers to take to the streets, saying, “To New Yorkers I have never encouraged them to protest.”
Mamdani clarified his position by adding, “What I have always told them is that they have the right to do so in this city,” drawing a distinction between encouraging protest and affirming the constitutional right to it.
The tension between Mamdani and Netanyahu stretches back to July, when the Democratic socialist mayor revealed he had asked his administration to review applicable law to determine whether the city could execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
At a July 22 press conference, Mamdani described protest as “one of the bedrocks of our city,” calling it something that makes New York special and welcoming to all forms of political expression.
“And I’ve always said that when we respect our Constitution, we also respect our First Amendment. And here in New York City it will always be a place where you can exercise that,” Mamdani added at the time.
Netanyahu has not stayed silent in response, accusing Mamdani of “fomenting hate” and claiming the mayor’s rhetoric is making New York’s Jewish community feel afraid, remarks he made during an interview on Sunday Morning Futures.
Israel’s ambassador and Israeli UN envoy have also weighed in sharply, with the envoy calling Mamdani a “clown” and accusing him of conducting “a stunt,” while the ambassador accused the mayor of “sowing chaos” ahead of Netanyahu’s UN appearance.
Mamdani has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and previously labeled Netanyahu a “war criminal” and “architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people,” language that has drawn fierce criticism from Israeli officials and Jewish community leaders.
The mayor also made headlines earlier this year when he skipped New York City’s annual Israel Day Parade on May 31, becoming the first mayor in decades to miss the event, a decision that further inflamed tensions with pro-Israel groups in the city.
Netanyahu confirmed plans to travel to Washington to meet President Donald Trump before heading to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly, setting the stage for what is expected to be a politically charged visit.
