New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shows no signs of easing his heated criticism of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, intensifying concerns over rising division and antisemitism in the city as Netanyahu prepares to visit New York
The Uganda-born Muslim mayor is urging residents to take to the streets when Netanyahu attends the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, and New York’s finest are not too happy about it.
“This is a city where, if anyone feels a level of frustration or opposition, protest is something that we will always respect,” Mamdani told reporters this week. “That New Yorkers can express themselves, whether they are in support or in opposition, no matter on whatever topic.
“And I’ve always said that when we respect our Constitution, we also respect our First Amendment,” he added.
Odd how the Democrats always respect the First Amendment when its their base in the streets.
NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry pushed back, saying the mayor is putting cops in a “terrible position.”
Cops Fume as Mamdani Urges New Yorkers to Protest Netanyahu
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is calling on New Yorkers to take to the streets to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming visit — and NYPD officers are not pleased.
After admitting he lacks the… pic.twitter.com/Vluyuy45oE
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 24, 2026
“The mayor’s activist posturing puts police officers on the street in a terrible position,” Hendry said. “Protests during the UN General Assembly are nothing new, but when the mayor of the city is actively calling for demonstrations, violent agitators will assume they have permission to cause as much havoc as possible.”
“Those same agitators know that the NYPD’s protest response is already hamstrung by the dangerous lawsuit settlement the city signed over the PBA’s opposition,” he added. “The mayor’s heated rhetoric could be enough to push demonstrations over the edge into chaos.”
Mamdani, who is intelligent enough to understand the impact of his rhetoric, vowed to have Netanyahu arrested if he comes to the city, citing a 2024 warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Of course, the mayor does not have the authority to do that, so he’s pivoting to trying to make the Jewish prime minister as uncomfortable as possible.
“Cops just came off a crazy six weeks between the Knicks and the World Cup working long hours every day, and now he’s going to subject them to unnecessary problems,” an officer said, according to the New York Post.
“He should be governing the city and trying to keep the peace, instead of inciting a riot with his rhetoric,” another cop said. “He is basically telling the crazy people to do what they want, and there will be no repercussions. If a cop gets hurt, it will be on him, but that is the least of his worries.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.