Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hit back at New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani after the latter said he was "not welcome" in the city and backed the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against him. Declaring that he would travel to New York in September to address the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu accused the mayor of "fomenting hate" and dismissed the war-crimes allegations against him.
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Speaking to Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, Netanyahu said, "My answer to Mamdani, I will come to New York to fight for the truth of the Jewish people."
"I intend to come and speak the truth, speak for Israel and for the Israeli-American alliance from the podium of the United Nations," he added.
Netanyahu's remarks came days after Mamdani said Israeli leaders facing ICC charges were not welcome in New York. The mayor also said that while New York City did not have the legal authority to execute the ICC's arrest warrant, he believed the US federal government should do so.
"Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large. As I've said, I agree with the ICC that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes, as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC," Mamdani had said.
He had also told media outlet, The New York Times, that his administration was engaged in an "active conversation" with the New York City law department to determine the city's legal authority if Netanyahu visits for the UN General Assembly in September.
Responding to the criticism, Netanyahu accused Mamdani of siding with Hamas. "What Mamdani is supporting, his wife, his family - he celebrated October 7th massacre, the worst massacre against Jews since the Holocaust," Netanyahu said.
