Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Wednesday that he will visit New York next year regardless of public threats by incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani to have him arrested upon arrival under an International Criminal Court warrant. The warrant, issued in November 2024, accuses Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conduct of military operations in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

In a virtual appearance at the New York Times DealBook Summit, Netanyahu responded directly to a question about the trip: “Yes, I’ll come to New York.” When pressed on whether he would engage Mamdani, he replied coolly, “If he changes his mind and says that we have the right to exist, that’ll be a good opening for a conversation.” The remark appeared to reference Mamdani’s long-standing criticism of Israel’s identity as a Jewish state, though the mayor-elect has consistently stated that he recognizes Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people while opposing any legal hierarchy favoring Jewish citizens.

Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, will be sworn in as New York City’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor on January 1. Throughout his campaign he repeatedly pledged that, if elected, he would instruct the NYPD to execute any valid ICC arrest warrant served on indicted foreign leaders entering the city, explicitly citing Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin as examples.

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Most legal scholars and federal officials dismiss the threat as symbolic at best. The United States has never recognized ICC jurisdiction over its citizens or allies, withdrew its signature from the Rome Statute in 2002, and imposed sanctions on court personnel under both the Trump and Biden administrations. Immigration enforcement remains an exclusively federal function, and host-country obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement generally require Washington to grant visas to heads of state or government attending General Assembly sessions.

The confrontation highlights a widening rift between progressive elements of the Democratic Party and Israel’s government as the Gaza war enters its third year with no ceasefire in sight. New York, home to both the largest Jewish community outside Israel and the United Nations, has become a focal point for these tensions, especially ahead of Netanyahu’s expected address at next September’s General Assembly opening.

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