United Nations: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, arrived at the United Nations in New York on Thursday, ahead of the prime minister’s address to the UN General Assembly.
Netanyahu is expected to use his speech to criticise New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his description of the Israeli leader as a war criminal, a feud that comes as Netanyahu faces growing opposition ahead of elections in Israel. Earlier, he posted a video against Mamdani.
Netanyahu rejects allegations of war crimes. His visit is his first to New York since Mamdani took office in January. Israelis opposed to Netanyahu’s right-wing government are also planning protests in the city.
Ahead of Netanyahu’s speech, his government paid for 500 pro-Israel and anti-Iran billboards and dozens of trucks carrying messages supporting Israel across Manhattan, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
"Unsafe, a nuclear Iran is a threat to the whole world;" "Unthinkable, a nuclear Iran can't become a reality," read, among other messages, 500 electronic billboards and the sides of a dozen trucks.
They could be seen in Times Square among other Midtown locales. Under the signs read the subtext: "Paid for by the State of Israel". Israel holds a general election in five weeks that opinion polls suggest could end Netanyahu's long hold on power.
The campaign is unfolding amid mounting criticism of Israel's Gaza war and without a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu is making an unusually brief visit to the US for the UN address. He arrived in New York at around 9 a.m. ET (1300 GMT) and is expected to return to Israel the same day after delivering his speech in the afternoon.