‘Not getting into back-and-forth’: Mamdani shrugs off Netanyahu’s ‘hate’ charge as Israeli PM heads to White House

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday dismissed Benjamin Netanyahu‘s accusation that he was “fomenting hate”, saying he was “not interested in getting into a back-and-forth” with the Israeli prime minister over his past support for the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against him.Mamdani made the remarks while addressing reporters at a press conference in Brooklyn, a day before Netanyahu’s scheduled White House meeting with US president Donald Trump.“I’m not interested in getting into a back-and-forth with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Mamdani said.The latest exchange comes as Netanyahu arrived in Washington for high-level talks with Trump. According to a White House official, the two leaders are expected to discuss Iran, the framework agreement with Lebanon following the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords.The mayor instead shifted the focus to public safety, saying protecting New Yorkers, particularly the city’s Jewish community, remained a key priority.“What I will say is that here in New York City, one of my top priorities is keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe, keeping every single New Yorker safe. And we know that while Jewish New Yorkers comprise a minority of all New Yorkers, they comprise a majority of the victims of all hate crimes, and it is unacceptable,” Mamdani added.According to Fox News, Mamdani was also asked whether he had discussed with Trump his earlier calls for New York City to recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC and arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city.“I’ve made my thoughts clear. I’ll keep the conversation between the President and myself between him and myself,” Mamdani said.The exchange follows Netanyahu’s remarks in an interview with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, where he rejected Mamdani’s assertion that he was unwelcome in New York and confirmed he would travel to the city in September to address the United Nations General Assembly.“My answer to Mamdani, I will come to New York to fight for the truth of the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said.Netanyahu also accused the mayor of creating divisions within New York.“He’s fomenting hate. 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, and he’s foisting hate and fear,” Netanyahu said.“I speak to Jewish Americans in New York, and they’re afraid right now.”The political dispute stems from Mamdani’s comments last week urging the US federal government to enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu. While acknowledging that New York City has no legal authority to execute the warrant, Mamdani said the federal government should do so and reiterated that the Israeli leader was “not welcome” in the city.Netanyahu is scheduled to hold talks with Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. The meeting is the Israeli PM’s first since the US and Israel launched joint military action against Iran.