Netanyahu: Genocide charge is ‘lie of the century,’ ‘antisemitic’ Mamdani can’t silence me

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes back against the charge that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, calling it “the greatest lie of the century.”

He points to the polio vaccinations and vast supplies of food Israel has let into Gaza.

“We’ve taken innumerable steps to protect the civilian population,” he says. Israel let food into Gaza for most of the war but blocked the entry of aid for more than two months, leading to reports of widespread hunger. Aid groups continue to say more supplies should be let in.

“Shame on you,” he says to those who charge Israel with genocide.

He then turns to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a staunch opponent of Israel, saying Jews no longer feel safe in the city, which has the world’s largest Jewish population.

He calls Mamdani a supporter of Hamas, and claims that the mayor invited into his home a journalist who refused to release footage of “Hamas terrorists beating and torturing Israeli hostages.” He also pans Mamdani’s wife for liking anti-Israel posts.

“You can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth,” he says to Mamdani, who has called for Netanyahu’s arrest on war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court, and has called him a “war criminal.” Netanyahu denies the charges.

“Israel didn’t commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide,” says Netanyahu, saying Mamdani’s “Hamas buddies” would have killed every last Jew if they could have.

He calls Mamdani “antisemitic,” and says in his city Jews are stabbed and targeted simply for being Jews.

“The days when Jews were defenseless victims marched to the slaughter, those days are over,” he declares. “Today we have a state. Today we have an army.”

He urges Jews to “raise your heads high” and for everyone else to join the fight against “the barbarians.”