Netanyahu Slams NYC Mayor Mamdani as "War Criminal" Feud Escalates
"Shame on you, Mr. Mandani. Shame on you for supporting Hamas," Netanyahu said in a video posted to X. He further accused Mamdani of "inciting riots against New York Jews."
Mamdani made history as New York City's first Muslim mayor following his win in the 2025 election. He has rejected claims of antisemitism, and drew considerable support from Jewish New Yorkers during his campaign. His stance marks a departure from past New York mayors, who have typically been outspoken backers of Israel and frequent visitors to the country — notable given the city's status as home to the largest Jewish community in the US.
"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."
The clash followed remarks Mamdani made earlier Tuesday, when he labeled Netanyahu a "war criminal" and accused him of orchestrating 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, though he acknowledged New York City lacks the legal power to enforce the ICC's arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
Mamdani has previously declared Netanyahu "not welcome" in New York and pressed the US federal government to enforce the international warrant against him.
Neither Israel nor the US belongs to the ICC, and Washington has slapped sanctions on court officials over their pursuit of Netanyahu. Separately, the International Court of Justice — the UN's top judicial body — is weighing a genocide case brought by South Africa and joined by multiple other nations against Israel over its conduct in Gaza.
Gaza Genocide
Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday that Netanyahu's plane will avoid landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport amid fears that Mamdani could order it out before the premier's return trip. The paper said the aircraft is instead expected to touch down at a military base in New Jersey or at Newark Airport.
Citing unnamed sources, the outlet also reported that Netanyahu has decided to cut his trip short and skip an overnight stay in New York due to concerns over demonstrations. He is expected to land in the US Thursday morning — the day of his UN General Assembly address — before departing swiftly for Tel Aviv without meeting President Donald Trump.
Successive US administrations have extended military, financial and diplomatic backing to Israel, repeatedly deploying Washington's veto at the UN Security Council to block measures aimed at the country. Polling within the US has increasingly shown shifting attitudes toward Israel and Palestinians, particularly among younger Americans, amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Netanyahu has been sought by the ICC since 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians in Gaza.
Since Oct. 8, 2023, Israel has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000 others amid what is described as genocide in Gaza, destroying roughly 90% of the territory's civilian infrastructure. Despite a ceasefire that took hold on Oct. 10, 2025, Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes have persisted, killing 1,399 Palestinians and injuring 4,863 more since.
Israel continues restricting the flow of agreed food, medicine, medical supplies, shelter materials and prefabricated housing into Gaza, home to roughly 2.4 million Palestinians, including about 2.15 million displaced residents.
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