Netanyahu rages against critics, including Mamdani, at the U.N. General Assembly

Netanyahu used the speech to go after his critics, naming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani directly. He also defended Israel's decision to strike Iran alongside the United States, calling it "one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make."

He didn't stop there. Netanyahu said that without the strike, "we'd all be dead," framing the action as a matter of survival rather than choice. His appearance came amid intensifying international scrutiny over Israel's conduct in Gaza.

For diplomats watching, the speech read less like a diplomatic address and more like a direct counterattack against a mounting chorus of criticism, delivered on one of the world's biggest stages. The divide in the room was clear well before he finished speaking.