“Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City,” Mamdani said.
NEW YORK: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to visit New York City for the United Nations General Assembly this autumn despite earlier comments from Mayor Zohran Mamdani about enforcing an international arrest warrant against him.
Netanyahu said that he was not worried about Mamdani’s previous remarks and accused the mayor of creating division among New Yorkers. He said the mayor should represent all communities, including Jewish, Christian and Muslim residents, rather than increasing tensions between groups.
“He’s supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers,” Netanyahu said, while criticizing Mamdani’s past statements about the Israeli leader.
Mamdani, who supports Palestinian rights, had previously said during his election campaign that he would try to enforce a 2024 arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The court accused Netanyahu of alleged war crimes connected to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which Israel has rejected.
Netanyahu is still planning to visit New York City despite Mamdani telling him he’s “not welcome” in his city.
Mamdani previously threatened to arrest Netanyahu, but he doesn’t have the jurisdiction to do so. pic.twitter.com/0UcMQS6OBh
— Pubity (@pubity) July 26, 2026
However, Mamdani later acknowledged that New York City does not have the legal authority to carry out the ICC warrant. He said his administration reviewed the matter and found that enforcement powers belong to the federal government.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City,” Mamdani said, while urging federal authorities to take action.
Netanyahu’s comments came after two separate stabbing incidents in New York City that left a Jewish man and an Asian man injured. Police said the suspect allegedly used a religious phrase during the attacks and later faced hate crime charges. Both victims survived, and the incidents drew condemnation from Jewish and Asian American community leaders.
