Netanyahu to Attend UN General Assembly in New York Despite Arrest Threat
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed his plans to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City this autumn. The statement comes despite previous threats from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to arrest him in connection with a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mayor Mamdani has since retracted his threat, acknowledging that his office lacks the independent legal authority to execute a warrant from the world’s highest war crimes court. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Netanyahu said he was not worried by Mamdani’s earlier statements and accused the mayor of inciting hatred. “He is supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers, Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone, but he is trying to pit one group against another,” Netanyahu said.
The Prime Minister referenced two recent stabbing incidents in New York, where a suspect targeted a Jewish man and an Asian man. Police reported the suspect shouted “Allahu akbar” and is now facing hate crime charges. Both victims survived. Netanyahu claimed Jewish residents in New York are living in fear. The mayor’s office has not yet responded to these remarks.
Mamdani, a staunch advocate for Palestinian rights, made opposition to Israel’s military operations in Gaza a central pillar of his campaign last year. In a speech last week, he openly labelled Netanyahu a “war criminal”. As part of his campaign pledges, Mamdani had promised to enforce the 2024 ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Israel denies the allegations, with Netanyahu dismissing the charges as “fictitious”.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began after a Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Since then, more than 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including over 21,000 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, figures the United Nations deems reliable. After being pressed by The New York Times on his arrest pledge, Mamdani clarified his administration’s legal position, stating, “We do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.” He nonetheless urged the US federal government to make the arrest, insisting that “Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City.”