Netanyahu Accuses NYC Lawmaker Mamdani of ‘Fomenting Hate’ Amid ICC Warrant Dispute

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday denounced New York City Council member Zohran Mamdani for “fomenting hate” after the progressive lawmaker called him a war criminal who should be arrested if he travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Netanyahu confirmed he intends to address the annual UN gathering despite Mamdani’s assertion that he is unwelcome. Speaking on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, the prime minister criticized the council member’s rhetoric. “He’s supposed to be the representative of all New Yorkers — Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone,” Netanyahu said. “But he’s trying to turn one group against the other.”

The confrontation underscores Netanyahu’s growing polarization on the international stage since the war in Gaza began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The conflict has since expanded to include a ground operation in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah and direct exchanges with Iran.

Netanyahu dismissed the International Criminal Court’s war crimes charges against him as “bogus,” pointing to sexual misconduct allegations against the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who was removed from his post last week. The prime minister characterized the warrant as an attempt to divert attention from those allegations.

Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. Throughout his 2025 mayoral campaign, the democratic socialist council member has pledged to direct the NYPD to enforce the ICC warrant should Netanyahu enter the city. “Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” Mamdani said in a video message Wednesday. He added that the city would “always respect” expressions of protest.

The Hague-based court has accused Netanyahu, his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar of crimes against humanity. Gaza health authorities report more than 73,000 Palestinians killed in Israel’s offensive, roughly half women and children. Approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the initial Hamas attack.

Netanyahu also warned that once-bipartisan U.S. support for Israel is eroding, particularly as progressive Democrats aligned with Mamdani gain influence. He cited rising antisemitism in Western nations, saying Jewish residents in New York — home to the world’s second-largest Jewish population — “feel very uncomfortable.”

Former President Donald Trump weighed in Monday, posting on social media that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.” Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump in Washington this week.

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