Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly brought Turkish-American streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker into his confrontation with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
While criticizing Mamdani over his positions on Israel and Gaza, Netanyahu named Piker and brought up controversial remarks the streamer made about the September 11 attacks several years ago.

Addressing Mamdani, Netanyahu criticized people associated with the New York mayor and referred to Piker’s past statement that “America deserved 9/11.”
Piker made the controversial remark during a Twitch stream in 2019. He later said the provocative wording was inappropriate and clarified that he was not saying the civilians killed in the September 11 attacks deserved to die.

Hasan Piker’s Name Reaches the UN Podium
Netanyahu’s decision to directly name Piker quickly became one of the most widely discussed moments from the speech on social media.
The Israeli prime minister highlighted Piker while discussing Mamdani’s political relationships and used the streamer’s past comments as part of his broader criticism of the New York mayor.
Netanyahu also accused Mamdani of antisemitism and rejected his accusations concerning Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Mamdani has rejected Netanyahu’s claims and continued his criticism of the Israeli prime minister and Israel’s military campaign.
The mention marked an unusual moment in which Piker, one of the most prominent political streamers in the United States, was directly singled out by a foreign head of government from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly.
Netanyahu’s remarks quickly spread across social media, drawing attention both in the United States and among Piker’s large online audience.