With Netanyahu at the U.N., Mamdani plants an olive tree with Palestinians

With Netanyahu at the U.N., Mamdani plants an olive tree with Palestinians - The Washington Post

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With Netanyahu at the U.N., Mamdani plants an olive tree with Palestinians

The Israeli prime minister, in his address to the U.N. General Assembly, called Mamdani “the antisemitic mayor of New York.”

September 24, 2026 at 4:14 p.m. EDTToday at 4:14 p.m. EDT

*New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at Gracie Mansion on Monday following a meeting with President Donald Trump. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Associated Press)*

Middle EastChevron right

By Joshua Yang

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a video of himself planting an olive tree with Palestinian families from Gaza at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence, in an apparent rebuke to Benjamin Netanyahu shortly before the Israeli prime minister’s address Thursday to the U.N. General Assembly.

“May peace be our future,” the caption read. Israeli settler violence has increasingly disrupted olive harvests in the West Bank, a critical economic lifeline for Palestinians.

> Last night I planted an olive tree at Gracie Mansion with Palestinian families from Gaza.
>
> May peace be our future. pic.twitter.com/3snGtcAA0J
>
> — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) September 24, 2026

Mamdani and Netanyahu have a history. The first-term mayor pledged repeatedly during his campaign last year to arrest the prime minister in New York on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Neither the United States nor Israel are parties to the tribunal. Mamdani later backtracked, saying he had concluded he lacked the legal authority to make the arrest.

Netanyahu in his address Thursday called Mamdani the “antisemitic mayor of New York,” and criticized his claim that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, his relationship with the left-wing podcaster Hasan Piker and his wife’s social media presence.

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What readers are saying

The comments reflect a strong criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with many labeling him as a war criminal and accusing him of genocide against Palestinians. Mamdani is praised for his principles and conscience, with some commenters defending him against... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.

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