Netanyahu Criticizes NYC Mayor Mamdani for Allegedly Fomenting Hate Ahead of UN Visit

Netanyahu told Fox News that Mamdani was trying to turn one group against the other, adding that the mayor should represent all New Yorkers regardless of faith. The Israeli prime minister’s remarks came after a Thursday stabbing incident in which a suspect attacked a Jewish man and an Asian man while shouting “Allahu akbar,” prompting hate crime charges against the attacker. Both victims survived the assault, but Netanyahu said it left Jewish New Yorkers afraid right now, according to the interview. The comments reflect ongoing friction stemming from Mamdani’s past statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The mayor, who assumed office in January 2026 after winning election the previous year on a platform that included affordability measures, had pledged during a recent address to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Mamdani later clarified in comments reported by the New York Times that the city does not have the independent legal authority to carry out such an arrest and instead urged the federal government to act while stating that the prime minister was not welcome in New York City. Mamdani has long been a proponent of Palestinian rights, having cofounded a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter during his time at Bowdoin College, according to a Britannica profile of the mayor. He has described the Palestinian cause as central to his identity and has revoked several pro-Israel decrees since taking office, drawing praise from advocates as detailed in an Al Jazeera dispatch. The mayor has maintained that he commits to fighting antisemitism while supporting equal rights for Palestinians, a Times of Israel review of his record found. Such tensions occur against a backdrop of persistent antisemitic activity in the city. The Anti-Defamation League’s 2025 audit recorded 860 antisemitic incidents across New York City’s five boroughs, making up almost three-quarters of the 1,160 incidents statewide and ranking New York as the state with the most cases nationally. Although the figures represented a decline from 2024, they remained well above pre-October 7, 2023, levels, the audit showed. The Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages being taken, according to Israeli government data. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has led to more than 73,000 Palestinian deaths including over 21,000 children, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry that the United Nations has deemed reliable. The International Criminal Court issued its warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, a move Israel has dismissed as based on bogus charges. Mamdani’s office has not issued a response to the latest accusations from Netanyahu, multiple outlets reported. The mayor’s campaign and tenure have focused primarily on affordability issues for New York residents even as his foreign policy views have drawn national attention. Jewish community leaders have expressed concerns over the climate in the city following the recent violence, according to coverage in regional press.