▲ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who attacked him as a war criminal, is "inciting hatred."
In an interview with Fox News, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, "The mayor of New York should be the mayor of all New Yorkers—Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike—but Mamdani is trying to pit one group against another."
He added, "I plan to visit New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly, and I will not change my schedule despite Mayor Mamdani's remarks."
Previously, Mayor Mamdani, an Indian-American Muslim, sparked controversy by warning that if Prime Minister Netanyahu—against whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant—visits New York, he would mobilize the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to arrest him.
In response, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the possibility, stating there would be no arrest of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Mamdani subsequently acknowledged that he does not have the authority to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu, but he maintained his offensive through a video message, sticking to his stance that the war in Gaza is a war crime.
However, criticism is also growing within New York's Jewish community that Mayor Mamdani's words and actions are fostering an atmosphere of antisemitism.
In fact, hate crimes targeting Jews have recently occurred in New York.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also pointed out on this day, "Even in New York, which is home to the second-largest Jewish population in the world, Jewish people are feeling a great sense of anxiety."
In particular, he also dismissed the war crimes allegations applied to him by the ICC as "baseless claims."
He argued that Karim Khan, the former ICC prosecutor recently dismissed over allegations of sexual misconduct, dragged in the Gaza war to divert attention elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu also expressed concern over the possibility that the bipartisan support for Israel in U.S. politics could weaken due to the rise of progressive Democratic politicians.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the United States on this day to hold talks with President Trump and attend the funeral service for the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who recently passed away.
Senator Graham was a leading pro-Israel figure in U.S. politics.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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