Netanyahu rips Mamdani for researching ways to arrest him when he visits NYC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani saying he is actively researching whether his administration could arrest when he visits New York City for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, alleging that he committed war crimes in Gaza. 

“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said on The New York Times’ the Interview podcast.

“He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court, and what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these past many years," he added.

Netanyahu issued a statement in response on Sunday.

"The ICC is a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis. Its bogus arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu was issued by a disgraced former ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan, a few days before allegations of sexual misconduct against him became public. It was a clear attempt by Khan to divert public attention and seek protection from scrutiny," his office wrote on X.

"Under Prime Minister Netanyahu's leadership, Israel has taken unprecedented wartime measures to minimize harm to civilians while confronting Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that uses Palestinians as human shields and deliberately targets innocent Israeli civilians. Instead of backing Khan's criminal behaviour, Mr. Mamdani should focus on fixing the damage his policies have caused New York. Like Karim Khan, Mamdani appears interested in diverting public attention from his follies and attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East," he added.