Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he will attend the UN General Assembly in New York City this September, rejecting calls by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to arrest him under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. Mamdani labeled Netanyahu a war criminal and urged the US federal government to act on the 2024 ICC arrest warrant related to alleged war crimes in Gaza, though he admitted city police lack the legal authority to arrest him [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Netanyahu denounced Mamdani’s threats as "bogus," accusing the mayor of fomenting hate and divisiveness among New Yorkers of different religious and ethnic backgrounds. He said, "He's supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers – Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone, but he's trying to turn one group against the other." He also cited recent violent stabbings targeting a Jewish man and an Asian man in New York, expressing concern Jewish residents feel unsafe amid Mamdani’s rhetoric [1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 4, 9, 5, 6].
Despite the tensions in New York, former US President Donald Trump stated Netanyahu would not face arrest while visiting the United States [9, 5]. Netanyahu reiterated his intention to appear at the UN and to criticize Mamdani during the assembly [5].
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. These charges relate to military operations following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered an Israeli military incursion into Gaza. Gaza’s health ministry reports over 73,000 people have died since the operation began, including more than 21,000 children [1, 4, 9, 5].
Mamdani, a prominent advocate for Palestinian rights, made opposition to Israeli military actions in Gaza a central theme of his 2025 mayoral campaign. He stated, "Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large." However, he acknowledged enforcement of the ICC warrant falls outside NYC police authority and called instead for the US federal government to intervene [1, 2, 4, 6].
The controversy has drawn criticism from some quarters. NBA star Kyle Kuzma mocked Mamdani’s calls, calling him a "mayor playing president" and questioning his authority and priorities [10, 11]. Meanwhile, debate persists over whether Mamdani’s criticism of Netanyahu and Israel crosses into antisemitism. Critics say it does not and note Mamdani engaged with Jewish communities in New York during his campaign [5]. A June 2026 AP-NORC survey found US Jewish adults hold mixed views of both men, with Netanyahu viewed favorably by about one-third and Mamdani by 44% [7].
Internationally, ICC President Tomoko Akane recently called on Japan to support the court against US pressure on ICC member states, including sanctions challenges, underscoring global tensions surrounding the ICC’s role [12].
Netanyahu’s planned attendance at the UN General Assembly in New York this September remains firm despite the local political opposition and calls for his arrest. The event is scheduled to begin on September 12, 2026.
