Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to travel to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, regardless of a clash with Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the International Criminal Court's warrant for the Israeli leader's arrest.
"I intend to come and speak the truth, speak for Israel and for the Israeli-American alliance from the podium of the United Nations," Netanyahu said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures.
Mamdani last week backed off a pledge to enforce the warrant, conceding that he lacks legal authority. In the same video, he called Netanyahu a war criminal who's responsible for "a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people" and "is not welcome in New York City."
Netanyahu rebuffed Mamdani in his Fox News comments Sunday, saying the mayor is promoting "bogus charges," dividing New Yorkers and "fomenting hate."
ALSO READ: Can Netanyahu Be Arrested In NY Despite Trump's Assurance? What US Law Says
Mamdani backed down after President Donald Trump said in a social media post last week that Netanyahu won't be arrested in the US "in any way, shape, or form" despite the ICC's actions.
Heads of state traditionally have diplomatic immunity while in the US on official business. In addition, the US isn't a party to the ICC and isn't legally bound to enforce its warrants.
Israel rejects accusations it has committed genocide against Palestinians, saying its war in Gaza was a legitimate defense of its people and a justified response to the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. Militants from the group, which the US considers a terrorist organization, killed some 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostage when they stormed into Israel.
ALSO READ: 'A War Criminal': Zohran Mamdani Mulls Legal Authority To Arrest Netanyahu During NYC Visit
Israel's military leveled much of Gaza and left more than 73,000 people dead, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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