Netanyahu Arrives at UN, Greeted by 'House of Lies' Remark

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New York on Thursday ahead of his address at the United Nations General Assembly. Upon his arrival, Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon welcomed him with the statement, "Welcome to the house of lies."

Concurrently, dozens of Israelis and Jewish individuals gathered at Union Square for a protest against Netanyahu, holding a banner that read, "Netanyahu, your time is up." Among the speakers at the protest was Eyal Eshel, father of observer Ronnie Eshel, who was killed in Nahal Oz.

Netanyahu's visit to the UN is expected to be brief. In addition to his speech, he is scheduled to meet with the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama, and Ethiopia, the vice president of Colombia, and the prime ministers of Greece, Slovenia, and Papua New Guinea. He is expected to return to Israel afterward. A meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump is not anticipated during this visit.

The prime minister's arrival in New York also comes amid a verbal exchange with the mayor of Zurich, Corine Mauch. Earlier in the week, Netanyahu stated in a video, "I am coming to the UN, I am going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I am coming to expose the truth about you." Mauch responded hours later, rejecting Netanyahu's remarks and referencing the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against the prime minister, accusing him of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and "genocide" against Palestinians.