Netanyahu to attend UNGA in New York despite Mamdani's arrest threat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed he will travel to New York to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), dismissing earlier threats by New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to have him arrested.

Mamdani has since softened his position, acknowledging that he has no legal authority to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Israel and Netanyahu have rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless and politically motivated.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday (July 26), Netanyahu said he was "not concerned" by Mamdani's remarks, accusing him of fueling division and hatred.

"He should be the mayor of all New Yorkers—Jews, Christians and Muslims alike—not someone who pits one community against another," Netanyahu said.

Referring to two separate stabbing incidents in New York last Thursday, Netanyahu claimed many Jewish residents were living in fear. According to police, the suspect allegedly shouted "Alla-hu Akbar" during the attacks, in which a Jewish man and an Asian-American man were injured but survived.

Mamdani's office did not immediately respond to Netanyahu's latest comments.

A vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, Mamdani has repeatedly criticized Israel's military campaign in Gaza and last week described Netanyahu as a "war criminal." During his campaign, he pledged to support enforcement of the ICC warrant if legally possible.

The war began after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. Gaza health authorities say more than 73,000 people, including over 21,000 children, have been killed in Israel's subsequent military offensive.