Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says he will visit New York, challenging incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threat to enforce an ICC arrest warrant
NEW YORK: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he still plans to visit New York despite incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threat to arrest him under an International Criminal Court warrant.
“Yes, I’ll come to New York,” Netanyahu said in a virtual interview with the New York Times’ Dealbook forum.
When asked if he would seek to speak to Mamdani, Netanyahu replied, “If he changes his mind and says that we have the right to exist, that’ll be a good opening for a conversation.”
Mamdani, a democratic socialist set to become New York’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor, has repeatedly stated he supports Israel’s right to exist.
However, he has refused to say Israel has the right to be a Jewish state, arguing no country should have a “hierarchy of citizenship” based on religion.
The mayor-elect has vowed to direct the New York Police Department to enforce ICC arrest warrants against wanted leaders, including Netanyahu or Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The ICC last year said it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel, the United States and Russia are among countries that have refused to join the court and have voiced anger at the accusations.
Despite Mamdani’s statements, an arrest of Netanyahu is considered unlikely and the mayor-elect’s authority to do so is debatable.
The federal government handles immigration, and President Donald Trump’s administration has vigorously defended Israel, including imposing sanctions on ICC officials.
New York is home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel and hosts the United Nations, which Netanyahu regularly attends.
Under a host country agreement, the US is supposed to issue visas for official UN business, though the Trump administration refused entry to Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in September. – AFP
