Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is “not afraid” of visiting New York City under Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s administration.
In a recent interview with Australian journalist Erin Molan, Netanyahu said that while he would be open to discussions with Pro-Palestine Mamdani, who had sought his arrest if he entered the city in accordance with International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant, Mamdani should focus on “educating himself” on social threats.
“It’s good to be a young leader, but it’s not good to be a young, uneducated leader,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu also criticised the economic policies, of Mamdani, who identifies as a Democratic Socialist, and said while socialism is good in theory, it doesn’t work.
Mamdani accused of anti-Semitism in the past
Mamdani has faced accusations of anti-Semitism primarily due to his repeated criticism of Israeli government policies. He had used terms like “genocide” to describe Israeli actions in Gaza. He had also addressed the issue multiple times during his campaign.
Reacting to the accusations, Netanyahu in the interview said, “Antisemitism usually collapses societies…It starts with the Jews, then goes to the blacks, the gays, the Hispanics… and it just collapses societies.”
Why did ICC issue arrest warrant for Netanyahu?
In November 2024, the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, accusing him of committing war crimes in the besieged enclave of Gaza.
A warrant was also issued for former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, stating that both bear “criminal responsibility” for using starvation as a method of warfare, persecution and other inhumane acts during the Israel-Hamas conflict, which broke out on October 7, 2023.
Israel has strongly denied these charges.
Additionally, the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for a Hamas commander for related crimes.
Can Mamdani get Netanyahu arrested?
The US is not a signatory to the ICC, which means the ICC has no jurisdiction within American territory as the US is not legally obligated to make the arrest.
Any attempts made by Mamdani’s administration could be obstructed by federal authorities as the US Constitution gives the federal government authority over foreign affairs.
“I’m going to operate within the bounds of the law,” Mamdani had earlier said, acknowledging his limitations.
