Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani of “fomenting hate” after Mamdani said Netanyahu should be arrested if he visits the city for the UN General Assembly. The dispute highlights how the Gaza war and allegations against Israel’s leader are affecting political debate in the United States, particularly in New York.

Mamdani said New York City lacks the legal power to enforce the International Criminal Court warrant but urged the federal government to act. Netanyahu rejected the ICC’s war-crimes allegations as “bogus” and said he still plans to attend the UN gathering in September; the Gaza war began after Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.