Mamdani accused of distracting from New York record over ICC threat
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office is accusing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of attacking the Jewish state to distract from his past in New York after calling Netanyahu a “war criminal.”
The prime minister’s office hit back Sunday after the Democratic mayor said his administration was exploring whether it could detain the Israeli leader during his expected visit to the city under an order from the International Criminal Court.
“The ICC is a kangaroo court with no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis,” Netanyahu’s office wrote in an
POTENTIAL 2028 DEM CONTEST PUT ON NETANYAHU, ADMITS US-ISRAEL TIES ‘AT THE CROSSROADS’
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani threatened to implement the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Getty Images)
“The fake arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu was issued by disgraced former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, just days before sexual harassment allegations against him were made public,” Netanyahu’s office said. he said. “This was a clear attempt by Khan to divert public attention and shield himself from scrutiny.”
The office added that Mamdani was also following the same strategy.
“Instead of supporting Khan’s criminal behavior, Mr. Mamdani should focus on repairing the damage his policies have caused in New York,” the post concluded. “Like Karim Khan, Mamdani appears interested in diverting public attention from his own follies and attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East.”
MAMDANI SCHEMES VIOLENT REACTION FOR ‘DRAGING AROUND’ WITH RIKERS ISLAND CONVICTS AT THE WORLD CUP SPOTLIGHT
Israel has vowed to ignore the ICC order while expelling Hamas, a “genocidal terrorist organization”, from Gaza.
“Under Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel has taken unprecedented wartime measures to minimize harm to civilians while countering Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that uses Palestinians as human shields and deliberately targets innocent Israeli civilians.”
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends Weekend” earlier Sunday that Mamdani was apparently exaggerating the “political theater.”
“This is a communist, anti-Semitic mayor trying to make news for his own audience,” Pompeo said. “There is nothing other than this. It is not possible to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu, who came to New York for the UN General Assembly in September.
“That’s not going to happen and he knows it.”
Even some Democrats rejected Mamdani’s stance, warning that it could embolden terrorists at home and abroad.
“This is not a college protest,” former Democratic Mayor Eric Adams wrote to X. “This is New York City.”
“Threatening to arrest the democratically elected leader of one of America’s closest allies with arrest during U.N. General Assembly week is not brave. It’s reckless,” Adams continued. “American diplomats, soldiers and officials are stationed in dangerous places around the world. Irresponsible rhetoric like this doesn’t stop in New York. It can put Americans at greater risk abroad. Leadership means understanding that your words have consequences. Reckless political theater can have huge real-world costs.”
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has long been at odds with Democrats over being the “anti-Israel party” and was telling “clown” Mamdani to “sit down.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
“He’s a very tough guy to say something like that,” Fetterman told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “Of course there’s no way he could do that. Frankly, America isn’t even part of that corrupt court. So he’s a clown saying that. So he won’t try it. Just sit down and focus on other problems in New York. This really isn’t your jurisdiction. You and I know that. Sit down.”
