Netanyahu accuses NYC Mayor Mamdani of 'fomenting hate' after arrest threat - BBC
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for threatening to arrest him, accusing the mayor of fomenting hate. The dispute follows Mamdani's vocal opposition to Israeli military actions in Gaza and recent hate crime incidents in New York.
Why it matters
This highlights the intersection of local municipal politics with international diplomacy and the rising tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict in US cities.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Kayla Epstein New York AFP via Getty Images Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York City this autumn, despite the city's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, making threats to arrest him.
Mamdani walked back that threat last week, acknowledging he lacked the legal power to arrest Netanyahu on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, the world's top war-crimes court.
The Israeli leader, who flies to the US on Monday on a different visit, told Fox News on Sunday that he was "not concerned" about Mamdani's previous pledge and accused the mayor of "fomenting hate".
He will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday and attend a funeral service for the late senator Lindsey Graham. New York is not on his itinerary on this trip.
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