Netanyahu Defies NYC Arrest Threat, Accuses Mayor of Fomenting Hate

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:17:02 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Israeli PM vows to attend NY UN visit despite mayor’s pledge to arrest him, citing lack of legal power and accusing the mayor of sparking hate.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threats to arrest him over an ICC warrant, saying he will attend the UN General Assembly in autumn. Mamdani later admitted the city could not legally enforce the warrant and urged federal authorities to act. Netanyahu labeled the mayor’s actions as “fomenting hate,” especially amid recent stabbings that raised concerns of hate crimes. Ele

Netanyahu Defies NYC Arrest Threat, Accuses Mayor of Fomenting Hate

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to attend the UN General Assembly in New York this autumn, dismissing mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threats to arrest him.

Mamdani had promised to enforce an International Criminal Court warrant against Netanyahu but later said the city lacked the legal authority to do so.

The Prime Minister told Fox News on Sunday that he was “not concerned” about the mayor’s pledge and called the mayor’s actions “fomenting hate.”

In addition to the UN gathering, Netanyahu will meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House and attend a memorial for former Senator Lindsey Graham; no stop in New York is planned.

Mamdani, a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, had previously called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and pledged to enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant. He later expressed uncertainty about the city’s legal authority to arrest and urged federal agents to take action.

The mayor’s stance was sparked by recent stabbings in New York, where a suspect attacked a Jewish man and an Asian man in adjoining blocks, shouting “Allahu akbar.” Both victims survived; the suspect has been charged with hate crimes.

Netanyahu’s remarks arrive amid Israel’s Gaza operations after the October 7 attacks, a UN‑directed investigation into possible war crimes, and ongoing tensions between the two sides.

According to Mamdani, the city cannot independently enforce ICC warrants and has called Netanyahu “unwelcome in New York.”