Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he intends to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly this September, dismissing calls from the city's mayor that he should not be welcome.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said he was "not concerned" by remarks from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who previously suggested he would seek to enforce an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against the Israeli leader.
Last week, Mamdani acknowledged that New York City does not have the legal authority to execute the warrant, although he maintained that the federal government should do so.
Netanyahu accused the mayor of deepening divisions in one of the world's most diverse cities.
"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," Netanyahu said, accusing Mamdani of "fomenting hate".
The Israeli prime minister linked his concerns to two knife attacks in New York last week, in which a suspect allegedly stabbed a Jewish man and an Asian man within minutes of each other. Police said the suspect shouted "Allahu akbar" during the attacks and has been charged with hate crimes. Both victims survived.
Netanyahu said the incidents reflected growing anxiety within the city's Jewish community, adding: "Jews are afraid right now."
Mamdani, a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, made opposition to Israel's military campaign in Gaza a central part of his mayoral campaign. He has repeatedly described Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and previously pledged to honour the ICC arrest warrant issued against him in 2024.
However, after reviewing the legal position, the mayor said last week that the city lacked the authority to carry out such an arrest.
"We do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," Mamdani said, while insisting that "Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City."
The Hague-based ICC has accused Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the conflict in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations, with Netanyahu describing the charges as "bogus".
Netanyahu also voiced concern that longstanding bipartisan backing for Israel in the United States could be weakening as political divisions deepen.
He warned of rising antisemitism in the U.S. and elsewhere in the West, saying many Jewish residents in New York no longer feel secure.
"I think it's wrong. The whole thing is wrong," he said.
The diplomatic row comes as the war in Gaza remains at the centre of international scrutiny. Israel launched its military campaign following Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 73,000 people have since been killed. The figures are widely cited by the United Nations, although Israel disputes aspects of the reporting surrounding the conflict.
Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington before the UN gathering, where he is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and attend the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a longstanding ally of Israel.
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