ICC fugitive Netanyahu says to visit New York despite Mamdani arrest vow

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) has said he still planned to visit New York despite incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani's pledge to arrest him in compliance with the court warrant.

"Yes, I'll come to New York," Netanyahu said in a virtual interview with the New York Times' Dealbook forum on Wednesday.

Asked if he would seek to speak to Mamdani, Netanyahu replied, "If he changes his mind and says that we have the right to exist, that'll be a good opening for a conversation."

Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who will be New York's first Muslim and first South Asian mayor, has repeatedly said he supports Israel's right to exist.

But he has baulked at saying Israel has the right to be a Jewish state, saying no country should have a "hierarchy of citizenship" based on religion or other factors.

Mamdani has vowed to send the New York Police Department to enforce arrest warrants against leaders wanted by the ICC, including Netanyahu or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Hague-based ICC last year said it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel's relentless genocide in Gaza.

Israel, the United States and Russia are among countries that have refused to join the ICC.

The federal government handles immigration and President Donald Trump's administration has vigorously defended ally Israel, including slapping sanctions against ICC judges and prosecutors.

New York is home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel as well as the United Nations, where Netanyahu has regularly attended the annual General Assembly.

Under an agreement as host country, the United States is supposed to issue visas for official UN business, although in September the Trump administration refused entry to Palestine’s President Mahmud Abbas.

A fragile ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since October 10, mediated by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, backed by the US.

Phase one of the ceasefire deal includes the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Israel has killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and wounded nearly 171,000 others in genocide in Gaza since October 2023.

Experts, however, contend that the actual death toll significantly exceeds what the Gaza authorities have reported, estimating it could be around 200,000.

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Source: TRT