NYC mayor slams Netanyahu's 'lies' at UN, cites ICC warrant

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly as a repetition of "lies" meant to sanitize the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, citing the international arrest warrant issued against the Israeli leader by the International Criminal Court.

Mayor dismisses speech as 'baseless lies'

Speaking in a statement reported by local media, Mamdani said the Israeli premier had used the international platform to spread falsehoods. "As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians," he said.

The mayor directly referenced the judicial proceedings against Netanyahu, emphasizing that diplomatic immunity does not erase alleged crimes. "Yet no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity," Mamdani stated.

ICC issued warrant in November

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 for alleged war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip. The Hague-based court accused the Israeli leaders of crimes against humanity during the ongoing conflict.

Earlier this year, Mamdani urged US federal authorities to enforce the warrant against the visiting prime minister, acknowledging that municipal authorities in New York City lack the jurisdiction to execute such an order.