Mamdani makes eyebrow-raising claim about Netanyahu protests ahead of NYC visit

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday he does not plan to attend protests during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, while denying that he has ever encouraged New Yorkers to protest the Israeli leader.

The comments come less than two months after Mamdani said New Yorkers had the right to protest Netanyahu’s visit and that he would leave the decision to them.

“I do not have any plans to attend any protest at the UNGA,” Mamdani said on Wednesday. “To New Yorkers I have never encouraged them to protest. What I have always told them is that they have the right to do so in this city.”

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Mamdani and Netanyahu have clashed over the Israeli leader’s expected New York visit since July, when Mamdani said he had asked his administration to review applicable law to determine whether the city could execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu.

The Democratic socialist mayor said in July that New Yorkers had the right to protest Netanyahu’s visit, calling protest “one of the bedrocks of our city.”

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“It is something that has been a part of what makes our city so special, that New Yorkers can express themselves whether they are in support or in opposition no matter on whatever topic,” he said during the press conference on July 22.

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“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,” the Mayor added.

Mamdani has repeatedly criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza and accused the country of committing genocide, while voicing support for pro-Palestinian causes. He also skipped New York City’s annual Israel Day Parade on May 31, becoming the first mayor in decades to miss the event.

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Mamdani previously called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and “architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.