Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responds to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s call for his arrest in connection with alleged war crimes related to the Gaza war. In remarks reported by multiple outlets, Netanyahu says Mamdani is “fomenting hate” and describes the International Criminal Court (ICC) war-crimes charges against him as “bogus.”
Netanyahu also says he plans to travel to New York in September to address the annual United Nations General Assembly, despite Mamdani’s comments suggesting the Israeli prime minister is not welcome. Mamdani, according to the reporting, has said that while New York City does not have legal authority to execute an arrest warrant issued by the ICC, he urged the federal U.S. government to consider acting on the warrant.
The dispute centers on whether the arrest demand should be pursued and which level of government has the legal role to act on ICC actions. The sources agree the exchange involves Netanyahu’s criticism of Mamdani’s rhetoric and his rejection of the ICC allegations.
