New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday, September 24, hit back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he used his United Nations General Assembly speech to attack the mayor over his criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Hours after Netanyahu’s address, Mamdani accused him of repeating “baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians” and pointed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against the Israeli leader.
The ICC issued the warrant on November 21, 2024, alleging that Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and intentionally directing attacks against civilians.
Netanyahu, however, rejected allegations of genocide, calling them false and arguing that Israel was acting to prevent genocide following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack. During his UN address, he called Mamdani “the antisemitic mayor of New York” and accused him of spreading “lies about Israel” and endangering Jewish New Yorkers.
The latest clash comes days after Mamdani met US President Donald Trump in New York and reiterated his criticism of Netanyahu. Mamdani had previously called for Netanyahu to face the ICC warrant but has acknowledged that New York City does not have the independent legal authority to enforce it.
Netanyahu Targets Mamdani At UN
Netanyahu used his UNGA speech to directly confront Mamdani, who has repeatedly criticised Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and called for accountability over alleged violations of international law. Referring to the New York mayor, Netanyahu said many Jewish New Yorkers no longer felt safe and accused Mamdani of making statements that, in his view, fuel hostility towards Israel and Jewish people.
He also referred to social-media activity involving Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, alleging that she had liked posts praising the October 7 attack and another saying Tel Aviv should not exist. Netanyahu rejected Mamdani’s description of Israel’s actions as genocide, arguing that Israel was fighting Hamas and saying, “Israel didn’t commit genocide; Israel prevented genocide.”
Mamdani has consistently rejected the suggestion that criticism of Israel or advocacy for Palestinian rights is antisemitic. The ICC’s warrant, meanwhile, does not charge Netanyahu with genocide. The court says he is accused of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, and its warrant remains an allegation rather than a final conviction.
ICC Warrant And Arrest Dispute
The ICC issued Netanyahu’s arrest warrant in November 2024 after judges found reasonable grounds to believe he was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed from at least October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024.
The allegations include starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, intentionally directing attacks against civilians, murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Netanyahu has rejected the allegations and Israel has challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction.
The warrant became a major issue during Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, when he said he would seek to enforce it if Netanyahu entered New York. His administration later reviewed the applicable law and concluded that the city itself lacked authority to execute the warrant.
In July, Mamdani said the city would follow local law but argued that the federal government could act, calling on Washington to honour the ICC warrant. Earlier this week, after meeting Trump, Mamdani again described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and “architect of a horrific genocide” in Gaza.
Trump has previously said Netanyahu would not be arrested in the United States. The dispute therefore extends beyond the two politicians, raising questions about the reach of international criminal law, US obligations towards the ICC and the limits of municipal authority.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The public exchange between Mamdani and Netanyahu reflects how deeply polarised the debate over Gaza, Israel and Palestine has become, even within New York, a city with communities directly connected to the conflict. At the same time, disagreements over governments and military policies should not become hostility towards Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim or any other communities.
The ICC allegations should be understood as legal proceedings, not convictions, while claims of genocide should be distinguished from the specific charges contained in the arrest warrant. The debate also comes amid protests outside the UN, where around 100 demonstrators were reportedly arrested, including actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, according to organisers and media reports. Inside the UN, dozens of delegates walked out as Netanyahu began speaking.
