Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of “fomenting hate” after the mayor called for his arrest over the International Criminal Court’s war crimes charges related to the Gaza war. Netanyahu stated he intends to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, despite Mamdani’s suggestion that he is not welcome.
Mamdani calls for arrest warrant enforcement
Mamdani said Wednesday that while New York City lacks legal authority to execute the ICC arrest warrant, he encouraged the federal government to do so. “He’s supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers – Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone,” Netanyahu said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. “But he’s trying to turn one group against the other.”
The prime minister has become increasingly polarizing over Israel’s war in Gaza, which began after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel also joined the US in a war against Iran starting 28 February and launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Netanyahu dismisses ICC charges as ‘bogus’
Netanyahu dismissed the ICC’s war crimes charges as “bogus,” pointing to sexual misconduct allegations against the court’s top prosecutor, who was removed on Friday. He claimed the warrant was an attempt to divert attention. Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
Netanyahu also expressed concern that bipartisan US support for Israel is at risk, especially from progressive Democrats aligned with Mamdani. He warned of rising antisemitism, noting that Jews in New York City, home to the second-largest Jewish population globally, “feel very uncomfortable.”
Trump says Netanyahu won’t be arrested
During his 2025 mayoral campaign, Mamdani said he would order city police to execute the ICC warrant. In a Wednesday video, he stated, “Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large.” The ICC has accused Netanyahu, his former defense minister, and a late Hamas leader of crimes against humanity. Gaza’s health ministry reports over 73,000 deaths in Israel’s offensive, roughly half women and children.
Former President Donald Trump posted Monday that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.” Netanyahu is expected in Washington DC Monday to meet with Trump and attend funeral services for the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong Israel supporter who died suddenly on 11 July.
