In brief
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would attend the UN General Assembly in New York this fall, despite Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s earlier threat to arrest him under an International Criminal Court warrant. Mamdani later clarified he lacks legal power to detain Netanyahu in New York. Netanyahu dismisses the mayor’s pledge, calling him a “war criminal” and accusing him of fostering division. The incident follows two recent stabbings in the city, raising concerns among Jewish and Asian communities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York City this autumn, even after Mayor Zohran Mamdani threatened to arrest him on a war‑crimes warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
Mamdani later clarified that the city lacks jurisdiction to enforce the ICC’s warrant against Netanyahu, but he urged the federal government to take action. Netanyahu dismissed the threat as “bogus” and accused the mayor of “fomenting hate”.
The confrontation follows a pair of stabbings in the city, in which a suspect shouted “Allahu akbar” while attacking a Jewish man and an Asian man. Both victims survived. The attacks prompted condemnation from local leaders of both communities.
Netanyahu added that Jewish New Yorkers were “afraid right now,” reflecting the tense atmosphere. The mayor’s office did not respond to additional queries.
Mamdani, a supporter of Palestinian rights, called Netanyahu a war criminal during his campaign, referencing the ICC’s allegations over Gaza. Israel has refuted the war‑crime accusations.
The conflict in Gaza, which escalated after the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, has resulted in over 73,000 deaths, according to the U.N.-endorsed figures from the territory’s health ministry.
