New York City Mayor fired back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday after the Israeli leader accused him of supporting Hamas terrorists and inciting unrest against Jewish New Yorkers, escalating their long-running feud days before Netanyahu is expected in the city.
When asked by reporters about Netanyahu’s video, Mamdani rejected the prime minister’s accusations.
“We all know that what the prime minister has said in that video is not true,” Mamdani said. “What we do know to actually be the truth when it comes to the prime minister is that he is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
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The ICC issued the arrest warrant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, but Netanyahu and the Israeli government have rejected the allegations and challenged the court’s actions.
Mamdani went further, leveling additional accusations against the Israeli leader days before he is slated to speak at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“And as the prime minister, he is the architect of horrific genocide against Palestinians,” Mamdani asserted. “And just a few days ago, his military killed an 11-year-old boy in what is deemed to be a safe zone in Gaza. So that is what I have to say to his video.”
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The mayor was responding to comments Netanyahu made earlier Tuesday in a video pledging to “tell the truth” about Mamdani when he speaks at the U.N.
“Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani. Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews,” Netanyahu said in the video posted to X.
“I’m coming to the U.N. I am going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I’m going to tell you the truth about you,” he added.
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The exchange is the latest chapter in an ongoing public feud between the two leaders and comes as Netanyahu prepares to visit the city Mamdani leads.
Earlier this year, Mamdani explored whether New York City could execute the ICC warrant against Netanyahu â an issue he had campaigned on â before acknowledging that the city could not enforce the warrant on its own.
Mamdani has previously called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and an “architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.” He also said over the summer that Netanyahu was “not welcome” in New York City.
“I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” Mamdani said at the time.
Mamdani has also defended New Yorkers’ right to protest during Netanyahu’s visit, though he has said he is
