Netanyahu accuses NYC Mayor Mamdani of 'fomenting hate' amid war-crimes charges

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of "fomenting hate" following Mamdani's expressed intention to explore legal avenues for arresting Netanyahu. Mayor Mamdani cited an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant issued in 2024 for alleged war crimes in Gaza as the basis for his stance, believing Netanyahu should be detained if he visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Netanyahu, speaking on Fox News, dismissed the ICC charges as "bogus" and asserted that Mamdani was attempting to create division among New Yorkers and instill fear among Jewish residents. While Mayor Mamdani has acknowledged that New York City likely lacks the independent legal authority to execute such a warrant, he has called upon the federal government to intervene.

The United States is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, and federal law prohibits local governments from cooperating with the court's warrants. Both US President Donald Trump and Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, have publicly stated that Netanyahu would not be arrested in the U.S., with Danon criticizing Mamdani for focusing on international issues rather than city governance.