WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Israel’s said Sunday that New York is 鈥渇omenting hate鈥� by calling the prime minister a war criminal who should be arrested over the if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly.
Netanyahu said he intends to be in New York in September to address the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders, despite the mayor’s suggestion that he is not welcome. Mamdani that while New York City does not have legal authority to execute an by the world’s top war-crimes court, he encouraged the federal government to do so.
鈥淗e鈥檚 supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers 鈥� Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone,鈥� Netanyahu said on Fox News Channel’s 鈥淪unday Morning Futures鈥� with Maria Bartiromo. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 trying to turn one group against the other.鈥�
The prime minister has become an increasingly polarizing figure over Israel’s war in Gaza, which was ignited by the Oct. 7, 2023, deadly attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants. Israel also joined the U.S. in starting the on Feb. 28 before launching a in response to fire from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.
Netanyahu on Sunday dismissed the International Criminal Court’s war crimes charges against him as 鈥渂ogus.鈥� He pointed to against the ICC’s top prosecutor, who was on Friday, and said the warrant was an attempt to divert attention.
The mayor鈥檚 office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
Bipartisan U.S. support for Israel at risk, Netanyahu says
Netanyahu said he was concerned that once-bipartisan for Israel in the U.S. is at risk, particularly as progressive and far-left Democrats aligned with the Mamdani wing of the party splinter.
He also warned against and other Western countries, saying that when he talks to people in New York City, home to the second-largest Jewish population in the world, “Jews feel very uncomfortable.鈥�
鈥淎nd I think it鈥檚 wrong. The whole thing is wrong,鈥� he said.
Throughout his mayoral election campaign last year, Mamdani said he would seek to order the city鈥檚 police to execute the ICC鈥檚 arrest warrant over Netanyahu’s role in the war in Gaza.
But Mamdani acknowledged last week that his city did not have the legal authority to arrest Netanyahu and called on federal authorities to step in.
鈥淚 want to be equally clear, Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,鈥� he said in a video message.
He told New Yorkers that he understood their frustration and that expressions of protest is something the city would 鈥渁lways respect.鈥�
The Hague-based court has accused Netanyahu, his former defense minister and the late leader of Hamas of crimes against humanity. The Palestinian territory鈥檚 Health Ministry says over 73,000 people have been killed in Israel鈥檚 offensive 鈥� roughly half of them women and children. Some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed in the initial Hamas attack on Israel.
Trump has assured Netanyahu he won’t be arrested
Trump told Netanyahu in a social media post Monday that he 鈥渨ill not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.鈥�
Netanyahu is expected in Washington this week to meet with Trump and attend funeral services for the late .
Graham, a leading defense hawk and strong supporter of Israel, died suddenly two weeks ago of a likely torn aorta. The prime minster called him an 鈥渆xtraordinary American patriot.鈥�
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Associated Press reporter Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.
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