Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he plans to visit New York City despite mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's threats to arrest him in compliance with an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
"Yes, I'll come to New York," Netanyahu said in an interview with the New York Times' Dealbook forum on Wednesday.
Asked if he would seek a dialogue with Mamdani, the Israeli Prime Minister said, "If he changes his mind and says that we have the right to exist, that'll be a good opening for a conversation."
The 34-year-old democratic socialist has repeatedly said he supports Israel's right to exist. However, New York's first Muslim and South Asian mayor-elect has shied away from saying Israel has the right to be a Jewish state, claiming no country should have a "hierarchy of citizenship" based on religion or other factors.
Mamdani has said that he believes Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and vowed he would send the New York Police Department to enforce the ICC warrant against Netanyahu if he comes to New York.
Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations of genocide and apartheid, even as the Hague-based ICC last year said it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel's relentless offensive in Gaza following the unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.
Israel, the United States and Russia are among the countries that have refused to join the ICC.
Can Mamdani Arrest Netanyahu?
Despite Mamdani's claims, Netanyahu's arrest in New York is unlikely, as it is debatable whether the mayor-elect has the power to act.
In the US, the federal government manages immigration, and US President Donald Trump's administration has strongly backed Israel, including placing sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors.
