In brief
Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed plans to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this autumn, even as Mayor Zohran Mamdani ramps up calls for the Israeli leader’s arrest on an alleged International Criminal Court warrant. Mamdani, who during last week weakened his pledge citing a lack of New York jurisdiction, warned that Netanyahu was “fomenting hate”. Netanyahu, in turn, accused the mayor of sowing division and dismissed the threat as “bogus”. The controversy follows a series of hate‑crime stabbings in Brooklyn and a broader debate over Israel’s war conduct in Gaza. The mayor’s office urged Washington to act, while Netanyahu insists the charges are without merit.
Netanyahu plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York City this autumn, despite the mayor’s attempt to arrest him on an International Criminal Court warrant.
Zohran Mamdani withdrew his earlier pledge last week, stating that the city lacks legal authority to enforce the ICC warrant and urged the federal government to act instead.
The Israeli prime minister called the mayor’s so‑called threat “fomenting hate”, saying “he’s supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers…but he’s trying to turn one group against the other.”
The controversy follows an incident this week where a suspect stabbed a Jewish man and an Asian man in nearby Brooklyn, shouting “Allahu akbar” during the attacks. Both victims survived, and the suspect faces hate‑crime charges.
Netanyahu, interviewed by Fox News, dismissed the ICC accusations as “bogus”, while Israeli officials deny any war crimes in Gaza. More than 73,000 people have died in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 2023.
The mayor’s office remained tight‑lipped on the matter, leaving Netanyahu’s upcoming trip and the international ramifications of the ICC warrant at a tense crossroads.
