Israeli President Isaac Herzog accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of spreading hateful and antisemitic rhetoric that endangers New Yorkers, while praising President Donald Trump for his support of the Jewish state and warning that Iran remains a major threat to global stability.
In an exclusive interview at his Jerusalem residence, Herzog said Mamdani does not respect the Jewish people's right to self-determination. He charged that the mayor is «spreading blasphemy, hate, antisemitic rhetoric» and warned that Mamdani risks the safety, well-being and lives of his own constituents by stoking division.
The exchange follows a video Mamdani posted on social media on July 21 in which he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu «a war criminal» and «the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.» Herzog said such language cannot be accepted in New York, a city he described as dear to Israel and to him personally, and expressed hope that Mamdani will not cause irreversible damage before his time in office ends.
Turning to Iran, Herzog said the regime has for decades constituted a strategic threat not only to Israel and the Middle East but to global stability. «They take their people's food and money and spend it on terror all over the world,» he said, adding that the regime's ideology does not accommodate other religions or moderate Islam, which is why it is so dangerous.
Herzog cited Tehran's missile program, its activities around the Strait of Hormuz, its nuclear ambitions, domestic repression and support for regional terror proxies as evidence of a major threat to US national security interests. He noted that many Americans have been killed by the Islamic Republic. The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28, dubbed Operation Epic Fury by the Trump administration and Operation Roaring Lion by Israel, before Trump announced a ceasefire on April 7.
Herzog praised Trump's «endless» backing of Israeli positions and his «immense support and friendship with Israel,» citing the 2018 decision to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem and the subsequent recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He also credited Trump with helping secure the release of 255 hostages held by Hamas after the October 7, 2023 massacre, saying Trump «put his foot down» and «pushed and negotiated brilliantly» to bring them home.
The Israeli president said the US-Israel relationship transcends shifting attitudes and growing criticism of the Jewish state, describing something «biblical and prophetic» in the way the two nations work together. He insisted that Israel should remain a bipartisan issue of friendship and support.
Herzog attributed a reported decline in American support for Israel, particularly among younger people, to well-funded disinformation campaigns on social media. «It's very easy to smear Israel on TikTok, but that doesn't say the real truth,» he said, inviting every young American to visit the country.
He described Israel as a nation seeking peace and innovation, where great ideas in health, energy, science, agriculture and food security are shared with the world. «We're a nation seeking peace, we're a nation seeking innovation,» he said, adding that he hopes for peace with neighbors across the region, including Palestinians, but that this requires Israel to be accepted and its security needs understood.
Herzog also addressed the recent House passage of a $1.15 trillion annual defense policy bill, which split largely along party lines, with the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act receiving only six Democratic votes. He described the development as a «red light» but said it does not signal the end of relations between the American and Israeli publics or of bipartisan dialogue and support.