Netanyahu vs Mamdani Heats Up, 'Open War' Set to Erupt
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of spreading and inciting hatred. The accusation was made after Mamdani called for Netanyahu’s arrest over alleged war crimes in Gaza should he visit the city to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Netanyahu confirmed his intention to fly to New York in September to address world leaders, disregarding the mayor’s signal that his arrival is entirely unwelcome. ‘He should be the mayor for all New Yorkers, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and everyone else. Instead, he is trying to divide and turn one group against another,’ Netanyahu said in an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
Mamdani had previously stated that while the city government lacks direct legal authority to execute an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, he urged the US federal government to do so. The mayor’s office has yet to respond to Netanyahu’s remarks.
Netanyahu has become an increasingly polarising figure due to the bloody war in Gaza, which erupted following the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. In addition to the Gaza conflict, Israel joined the United States in launching a war against Iran on 28 February, before initiating a ground invasion of southern Lebanon in retaliation against Hezbollah.
The Israeli prime minister dismissed the ICC’s war crimes allegations as false, pointing to sexual misconduct accusations against the court’s lead prosecutor, who was formally removed from his post on Friday, and calling the arrest warrant a diversion. The ICC has charged Netanyahu, his former defence minister, and the late Hamas leader with crimes against humanity. The Palestinian Health Ministry has recorded over 73,000 deaths from Israel’s military offensive, roughly half of whom are women and children, while the initial Hamas attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Netanyahu also voiced concern over the risk of fracturing the traditionally solid bipartisan American support for Israel, driven by divisions within the Democratic Party as progressive and left-wing factions align with Mamdani’s stance. He warned of rising antisemitism in the United States and other Western nations, noting that the Jewish community in New York City, the second largest in the world, now feels deeply uncomfortable.
During his 2025 mayoral campaign, Mamdani pledged to order the New York City police to execute the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu. ‘I want to make it very clear, Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor are any other war criminals still at large,’ Mamdani said in a video message. He added that the city would always respect the right to protest.
In response to the controversy, US President Donald Trump guaranteed Netanyahu’s security via a social media post, asserting that the Israeli leader would not be arrested in any form while on American soil. Netanyahu is scheduled to arrive in Washington DC to meet with Trump and attend the funeral of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch defence ally of Israel who died suddenly on 11 July from a suspected ruptured aorta.