Netanyahu says New York visit will go ahead despite ICC warrant
Israel’s prime minister said he will address the UN after Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he should be arrested if he enters the US.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his New York visit will go ahead despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant and objections from Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The trip would put Netanyahu at the United Nations in a city led by a mayor who has said he is unwelcome and should face arrest if he enters the United States.
Netanyahu made the comments on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” saying he intended to speak at the UN on behalf of Israel and the Israeli-American alliance. He also attacked Mamdani, a leftist politician who has been outspoken in his criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights.
According to Al Jazeera and AP, Netanyahu accused Mamdani of stirring hatred and said Jewish Americans were afraid. Mamdani’s critics have portrayed his criticism of Israel as antisemitic, while his supporters and a growing number of US voters have backed stronger criticism of Israeli policy, Al Jazeera reported.
Can New York arrest Netanyahu?
Mamdani said during his campaign that he would have Netanyahu arrested if the Israeli leader came to New York City. He later said Netanyahu is a war criminal who should be arrested if he enters the US, but that New York City itself does not have the authority to carry out such an arrest.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The warrants have become part of a wider US debate over Israel, Gaza and whether American officials should keep supporting Netanyahu’s government.
A YouGov poll published this week found that 46 percent of people in the US said Netanyahu should be arrested, while 28 percent said he should not. Al Jazeera also cited an AP-NORC poll that found 30 percent of Jewish adults in the US believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
What do polls say about Mamdani and Netanyahu?
A June survey of more than 1,000 Jewish adults by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found divided views of Mamdani. The poll found 44 percent viewed him somewhat or very favorably, 39 percent viewed him somewhat or very unfavorably, and about two in 10 said they did not know enough to give an opinion.
The same survey found Netanyahu had weaker ratings among Jewish adults in the US. About one-third viewed him somewhat or very favorably, while about six in 10 viewed him somewhat or very unfavorably, including 42 percent who viewed him very unfavorably.
Netanyahu also used the Fox News interview to accuse Mamdani, his wife and his family of celebrating the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Al Jazeera described that claim as false and reported that Mamdani has repeatedly called the Hamas attack a “horrific war crime.”
Hamas gunmen killed about 1,100 people in Israel on October 7 and took others captive, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that some of the most graphic claims promoted by Israel about that day, including claims about beheaded babies, have been repeatedly debunked.
Netanyahu also warned in the interview that any new Iranian attacks on Israel would be a “terrible mistake.” Al Jazeera reported that the US-Israel war on Iran, long sought by Netanyahu, is deeply unpopular with US voters.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.