Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Mayor of New York City (NYC) Zohran Mamdani of “fomenting hate”, arguing that his rhetoric has divided New Yorkers and made the city’s Jewish community feel unsafe.
Speaking on an American news channel, Netanyahu linked Mamdani’s statements to a stabbing outside a Manhattan synagogue. NYC Authorities allege 51-year-old Raul Morales stabbed a Jewish man in the chest with a screwdriver outside a synagogue.
“Look at what he’s doing. He’s fomenting hate,” Netanyahu said during the broadcast. “He’s supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers, Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone, but he’s trying to turn one group against the other.”
Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of committing war crimes in Gaza, said that Jewish Americans in New York told him they are growing fearful.
“They’re afraid right now, and I don’t think it’s accidental that after Mamdani made the hate speech against Israel and against me, the next day, a Jew is stabbed coming out of a synagogue,” Netanyahu said.
He did not mention that the stabber first attacked an Asian man before stabbing the Jewish New Yorker.
The Israeli prime minister criticized the mayor’s rhetoric directly. “I think that it’s shameful,” Netanyahu said. “The thing is very bad for New York. I think it’s very bad for peace.”
Netanyahu’s comments are in sharp contrast to a recent survey of Jewish adults in the US, which showed that 44 percent of respondents view Mamdani favorably, while 39 percent view the mayor unfavorably. By contrast, only 32 percent of respondents view Netanyahu favorably, while 59 percent view the Israeli prime minister unfavorably.
Netanyahu responded to statements delivered by Mamdani, who acknowledged that city officials lack legal authority to arrest Netanyahu under an ICC warrant, but urged federal officials to detain the Israeli leader.
During the address, Mamdani called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.”
Mamdani said, “We are talking about someone who has been charged with crimes against humanity, someone who has visited the city on many an occasion and has been welcomed by previous mayors. I want to make it very clear that the welcome ends with me. I will not welcome Benjamin Netanyahu or any other war criminals when they come to the city.”
Despite Mamdani declaring that Netanyahu is not welcome, the Israeli leader confirmed plans to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York in September. Netanyahu vowed to speak from the UN podium to defend Israel and its relations with the United States (US).
“I’m not concerned about Mamdani,” Netanyahu said. “I’ve appeared just about every year in my prime ministership, unless there are security conditions, but barring that and I don’t expect that to be the case the time yes, I do intend to come to New York.”
