New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted Palestinian families from Gaza at Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence in New York.
At the gathering on the night of September 23, Mamdani sat down for a meal with the Palestinian families and planted an olive tree with them in the residence’s garden.
Mamdani shared footage of the gathering on his social media account on September 24. The timing of the post drew attention because it coincided with the hours when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In his post, Mamdani wrote, “Last night at Gracie Mansion, I planted an olive tree with Palestinian families from Gaza. May peace be our future.”

Netanyahu also referred to Mamdani in his speech to the UN General Assembly, accusing the New York mayor of antisemitism. Mamdani responded to Netanyahu’s remarks about him, describing the accusations as “baseless lies.”
The gathering with Palestinian families from Gaza at Gracie Mansion and the planting of the olive tree highlighted Mamdani’s message about Palestine and peace as the UN General Assembly agenda continued in New York.