Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed in a Fox News interview that he will travel to New York in September for the United Nations General Assembly, dismissing calls from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his arrest as he denounced what he described as a campaign of hatred and lies against Israel and its leaders.
The combative exchange unfolded during a sit-down with Fox News host Sean Hannity, where the prime minister brushed aside threats from progressive officials and activists who have sought to brand him a war criminal. According to Mediaite, Hannity framed the controversy by highlighting Mamdanis recent demand that Netanyahu be detained upon arrival in New York, a move that underscores the growing willingness of left-wing politicians to weaponize international legal bodies against U.S. allies.
Hannity, reflecting the frustration of many conservatives with radical rhetoric coming from some urban leaders, referred to Mamdani as a lunatic and reminded viewers of the mayors earlier call for Netanyahus arrest. Hes a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court, Mamdani had claimed earlier this month, adding, And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.
Netanyahu made clear that such accusations would not deter him from entering what has long been a key diplomatic stage for Israel. Im definitely going there, he said, stressing that he intends to confront his critics directly: Im gonna speak the truth in front of this, you know, this just hate-spewing elected official whos pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others. Hes turning them against New York Jews. I mean, what are we, in the 1930s? What is this, you know? So much hate, so many lies.
The prime ministers comments underscored a broader concern on the right that anti-Israel activism in American cities is increasingly shading into open hostility toward Jewish communities. Netanyahus invocation of the 1930s was a pointed reminder of how quickly demonization can escalate when political leaders indulge in inflammatory accusations rather than sober debate.
During the interview, Netanyahu also took direct aim at the International Criminal Court, which has sought arrest warrants for him and other Israeli officials over the war in Gaza. He branded the ICC a corrupt, evil organization, arguing that its actions reflect political bias rather than impartial justice and warning that its overreach threatens not only Israel but any democratic nation forced to defend itself against terrorism.
It had a prosecutor who issued arrest warrants against me and our former defense minister as war criminals, supposedly for starvation, starving the people of Gaza, Netanyahu said, rejecting the premise of the charges. We gave a million tons of food for them, he added, insisting that Israel has gone to extraordinary lengths to facilitate humanitarian aid even while fighting Hamas.
A longer portion of the exchange captured the prime ministers determination to appear in New York despite the threats and legal theatrics. And youve got this lunatic mayor in New York thinking you may get arrested if you go to New York, which will never happen, Hannity told him, prompting Netanyahu to respond, First of all, Im going to New York. Yeah, Id love to see you there when I go to the UN in September.
When Hannity noted that he had relocated to Florida, Netanyahu pressed him to make the trip north. You know, you can take a plane. You can come. Youve come to Washington, so you can go there. But Im definitely going there. Im gonna speak the truth in front of this, you know, this just hate-spewing elected official whos pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others. Hes turning them against New York Jews. I mean, what are we, in the 1930s? What is this, you know? So much hate, so many lies.
Netanyahu then pivoted back to the ICC, calling it the International Criminal Court, so-called, and reiterating, Thats a corrupt, evil organization. He recounted how its prosecutor, Karim Khan, had initially signaled respect for Israels legal system before abruptly reversing course: It had a prosecutor who issued arrest warrants against me and our former defense minister as war criminals, supposedly for starvation, starving the people of Gaza. We gave a million tons of food for them.
According to Netanyahu, Khan canceled a planned visit to Israel after learning that a staff member was preparing to accuse him of sexual assault, a scandal the prime minister suggested had influenced the prosecutors conduct. But he decided to do that, and we didnt know, Why did he do that? He was going to come to Israel. And he said, you know, we shouldnt rush to judgment. Israel has an independent judiciary. And then bam, on the day hes supposed to come, he cancels the visit.
Netanyahu claimed that internal ICC turmoil helped explain the timing and nature of the arrest warrants, painting Khan as a man seeking to salvage his own reputation at Israels expense. We didnt know why. It turns out that a few days before that, his chief of staff said, You know, theres this female member, employee of yours that is going to charge you with sexual assault. And this corrupt prosecutor his name is Karim Khan he decided the only way hes going to get out of this is to do, forgive the expression, to do a con job on the international community.
The interview came just hours after both Hannity and Netanyahu attended the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., a ceremony honoring one of the Senates most stalwart national security hawks and a longtime ally of Israel. Ahead of the services, Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump at the White House, later describing their discussion as one of the best conversations Ive had with the president, a remark that will only deepen the contrast between his warm ties to conservative leaders and the hostility he faces from the progressive left at home and abroad.
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