Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s office issued a scathing response Sunday after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would seek Netanyahu’s arrest if the Israeli leader visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

In a statement released Sunday evening, the Prime Minister’s Office sharply criticized both Mamdani and the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the mayor of trying to divert attention from his own record while denouncing the court as illegitimate.

The statement described the ICC as “a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis.” It further asserted that the “bogus arrest warrant” issued against Netanyahu was approved by former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan “just days before allegations of sexual misconduct against him became public.” According to the statement, “it was a clear attempt by Khan to divert public attention and seek protection from scrutiny.”

The Prime Minister’s Office also defended Israel’s wartime conduct under Netanyahu’s leadership, saying that “under Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel has taken unprecedented measures during wartime to minimize harm to civilians.” The statement accused Hamas of “using Palestinians as human shields while deliberately targeting innocent Israeli civilians.”

The response also took direct aim at Mamdani personally.

“Instead of supporting Khan’s criminal conduct, Mr. Mamdani should focus on repairing the damage his policies have caused New York City,” the statement said. It added that “like Karim Khan, Mamdani appears interested in diverting public attention away from his own failures by attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East.”

The exchange follows remarks Mamdani made in an interview with The New York Times, in which he reiterated that he wants Netanyahu arrested if the prime minister visits New York.

“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we’ll do,” Mamdani said. “But we’re not going to write our own laws for that purpose.”

He also declared, “I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He is a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. That is a view many people hold simply because of what his actions have brought about over many years.”

{Matzav.com}