Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that he remains undeterred by threats from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to arrest him during his planned visit to the UN General Assembly this autumn. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, the Israeli leader dismissed the mayor's earlier pledge, instead accusing him of attempting to stir up division among the city's diverse population. Netanyahu remarked that while the mayor is expected to represent all New Yorkers—including Jews, Christians, and Muslims—he is instead working to turn one group against another.
The criticism follows recent civil unrest in the city, with Netanyahu highlighting a pair of stabbings that occurred on Thursday. In that incident, a suspect—who allegedly shouted "Allahu akbar"—attacked a Jewish man and an Asian man just blocks apart. Both victims survived, and the suspect has since been charged with hate crimes related to each attack. Netanyahu noted that these events have left Jewish residents in New York feeling fearful.
Mayor Mamdani, a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights who made opposition to the Israeli military operation in Gaza a core part of his election campaign, had previously promised to enforce an arrest warrant for Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The court has accused the prime minister of war crimes in Gaza, charges that Netanyahu has dismissed as "bogus." Israel has consistently denied allegations of war crimes, emphasizing that its military operations began following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and the taking of 251 hostages. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, which the UN considers reliable, over 73,000 people have been killed in the ensuing conflict, including more than 21,000 children.
While Mamdani previously declared that the prime minister was "not welcome in New York City," he walked back his specific threat to conduct an arrest last week. After being pressed by the New York Times, the mayor acknowledged that his administration had reviewed the law and concluded they lacked the independent legal authority to enforce an ICC warrant. Mamdani has since urged the federal government to take action against the prime minister.
