Benjamin Netanyahu accused Zohran Mamdani of “fomenting hate” after the New York mayor threatened to arrest the Israeli prime minister if he visited the city.
Mamdani pledged to honour an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza if he set foot in the Big Apple.
However, Netanyahu said he was “not concerned” about the threats, accusing Mamdani of “fomenting hate”.
Mamdani later backed down, acknowledging that he did not have the authority to execute the warrant – because the US is not a signatory to the ICC.
The Israeli leader said he still planned to visit the UN General Assembly in New York City in autumn despite the threats.
Netanyahu told Fox News: “He’s supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers - Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone – but he’s trying to turn one group against the other.”
He also referred to an attack where a man was reported to have shouted “Allahu Akbar” before stabbing a Jewish man and an Asian man in New York on Thursday.
Netanyahu said Jewish New Yorkers were “afraid right now”.
In an interview with the New York Times, Mamdani had originally said: “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”
In a subsequent video message posted online, he conceded that his government did not have authority to enforce the warrant.
He said: “My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people ... while we cannot end the genocide on our own, we can decide whether our silence will become another weapon.”
The US is not a party to the ICC and does not recognise its authority, meaning the court’s warrant for Netanyahu does not apply in New York and Mamdani has no legal basis to order an arrest.
Mamdani, the first Muslim mayor of the city, has staunchly condemned Israel’s war in Gaza, describing the conflict as a genocide.
Netanyahu is set to visit Washington for a meeting with Donald Trump this week.
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