Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that he plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York City this autumn, despite an earlier threat from Mayor Zohran Mamdani to arrest him. Netanyahu, speaking to Fox News, said he was "not concerned" about Mamdani's previous pledge and accused the mayor of "fomenting hate."
"He's supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers, Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone, but he's trying to turn one group against the other," Netanyahu said. He referenced two recent stabbings in New York City, where a suspect allegedly shouted "Allahu akbar" while attacking a Jewish man and an Asian man, leading to hate crime charges.
Netanyahu suggested that Jewish New Yorkers were "afraid right now" following these incidents. Mamdani, a supporter of Palestinian rights, had made opposition to the Israeli military operation in Gaza a key part of his campaign. He had previously called Netanyahu a "war criminal" and promised to enforce a 2024 arrest warrant for Netanyahu from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accused the prime minister of war crimes in Gaza.
Israel has denied the war crime allegations, with Netanyahu calling the charges "bogus." The Israeli military entered Gaza following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reports that over 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including more than 21,000 children.
Mamdani's office walked back the arrest threat last week, with the mayor acknowledging that the city "does not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant." He urged the federal government to arrest Netanyahu and stated that the prime minister was "not welcome in New York City."