Israeli prime minister lashes out at New York mayor, accuses him of ‘inciting against Jews’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday lashed out at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani after the mayor described him as a "war criminal."

"Shame on you, Mr. Mandani. Shame on you for supporting Hamas," Netanyahu said in a video posted on the US social media company X.

Netanyahu also accused Mamdani of "inciting riots against New York Jews."

Mamdani became New York City's first Muslim mayor after winning the 2025 election. He has denied accusations of antisemitism, and a significant number of Jewish New Yorkers were among his supporters.

Unlike Mamdani, previous New York mayors -- governing a city with the largest Jewish community in the US -- have traditionally been strong supporters of Israel and have frequently visited the country.

"I'm coming to the UN. I'm going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers," Netanyahu said. "I'm going to tell the truth about you."

Earlier Tuesday, Mamdani described Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and the architect of a genocide against Palestinians.

"When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be — a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people," he told CNN.

"If the International Criminal Court deems someone worthy of an arrest because of a violation of those laws, then who are we to say that anyone should be above that?" he asked.

"I think very clearly that everyone should be held accountable to it," Mamdani added, while acknowledging that New York City does not have the legal authority to enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu.

Mamdani has previously said Netanyahu is "not welcome" in New York and called on the US federal government to enforce the international arrest warrant against him.

Neither Israel nor its ally the US is a member of the ICC. Washington has imposed sanctions on court officials over its pursuit of Netanyahu.

The International Court of Justice, the UN's principal judicial organ, is also considering a case brought by South Africa and joined by several other countries accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

- Gaza genocide

On Monday, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu's plane will not land at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York amid concerns that Mamdani can order it to leave before the Israeli premier returned.

The daily said the aircraft is expected instead to land at a military base in New Jersey or at Newark Airport.

Citing unnamed informed sources, it also reported that Netanyahu decided to shorten his visit and will not stay overnight in New York because of concerns about protests.

Netanyahu is expected to arrive in the US on Thursday morning, the day of his UN General Assembly address, and leave shortly afterward for Tel Aviv without meeting US President Donald Trump.

Successive US administrations have provided Israel with military, financial and diplomatic support, including repeatedly using Washington's veto power at the UN Security Council to block measures targeting Israel.

Several US opinion polls have shown shifting public attitudes toward Israel and Palestinians, particularly among younger Americans, following the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2024 over accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians in Gaza.

Since Oct. 8, 2023, Israel has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured over 174,000 others in its genocide in Gaza, while destroying around 90% of the enclave's civilian infrastructure.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Palestinian authorities say Israeli attacks have continued in Gaza, killing 1,399 Palestinians and injuring 4,863 others.

Israel continues to restrict the entry of agreed quantities of food, medicines, medical supplies, shelter materials and prefabricated homes into Gaza, where around 2.4 million Palestinians live, including about 2.15 million displaced people.