‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed concerns about visiting New York City under its newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who has vowed to arrest him over an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
Netanyahu, speaking in an interview with Australian journalist Erin Molan, reacted strongly to Mamdani’s anti-‘Israel’ stance, calling the threats unfounded and predicting a bleak future for the city under socialist policies.
Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic socialist and former New York State Assembly member, made history by winning the 2025 New York City mayoral election on November 4, defeating Independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa with 50.4% of the vote.
As the first Muslim, South Asian, and youngest mayor in over a century, Mamdani’s victory energized progressive voters but drew criticism for his vocal opposition to ‘Israel’.
He assumes office on January 1, 2026, amid debates over his platform, which includes affordable housing and police reform.
During his campaign, Mamdani pledged to honor the ICC’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu for his war crimes in Gaza, stating he would direct the NYPD to detain the ‘Israeli’ leader if he enters the city.
Legal experts have called this promise unenforceable, as local authorities lack jurisdiction over international warrants without federal involvement.
Mamdani doubled down on the vow in October, framing it as a stand against what he termed genocide in the ‘Israeli’ assault on Gaza.
Netanyahu, undeterred, told Molan, “Hell no, of course not,” when asked if he feared arrest in New York.
He criticized Mamdani as a “young uneducated leader” lacking knowledge of economics and antisemitism, urging him to “get his act together” before making such statements.
Netanyahu said he is willing to have dialogue with Mamdani if he educates himself on these issues, per his expression.
The prime minister linked Mamdani’s socialist policies to economic failure, drawing from ‘Israel’s’ own shift away from socialism under his leadership, which he credited with boosting growth and reducing inequality.
He warned that such approaches could bankrupt New York, stating, “That’s where NY might be headed.”
Netanyahu also connected rising antisemitism to societal collapse, noting it “always collapses societies” by targeting Jews first, then other groups.
He predicted a “very dim future” for New York under Mamdani.