Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he still plans to visit New York despite mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s threats to have him arrested over an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.“Yes, I’ll come to New York,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday during a virtual interview with The New York Times. When asked if he would seek to speak to Mamdani, he said: “If he changes his mind and says that we have the right to exist, that’ll be a good opening for a conversation.”
Democratic Socialist Mamdani is set to become New York’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. He is a staunch pro-Palestinian who has advocated free Gaza and even accused the Israeli defence forces of committing war crimes, genocide. Mamdani has refused to say that Israel has the right to be a Jewish state.Earlier this year, the leftist vowed to instruct the New York Police Department (NYPD) to enforce arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against leaders accused of war crimes, including Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.Last year, ICC said that it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Israel has rejected the accusations, and it is among countries, along with the United States and Russia, that have not joined the court.Despite Mamdani’s warnings, legal experts consider an arrest of Netanyahu unlikely and question whether a city mayor has the authority to enforce international arrest warrants. The federal government manages immigration and Trump administration has constantly defended Israel, even funding billions for it’s military.New York is home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United Nations. The region has frequently hosted Netanyahu for official UN business. Under US agreements, visas are generally issued for such official visits. However, the Trump administration previously denied entry to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
