Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on July 26, 2026, that he plans to travel to New York in September to speak at the United Nations General Assembly, directly challenging New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's statement that the Israeli leader is "not welcome" in the city.

Speaking on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Netanyahu accused Mamdani of "fomenting hate" and dismissed the International Criminal Court's war crimes charges against him as "bogus." The Guardian

The exchange escalates a confrontation that has been building since July 21, when Mamdani released a video message stating that "Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City." The following day, July 22, Mamdani acknowledged that New York City lacks the legal authority to execute an ICC arrest warrant but said the federal government should do so. The Guardian

The ICC, based in The Hague, is a permanent international court that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. It issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister on November 21, 2024, over war crimes charges. Netanyahu rejected those charges outright during the Fox News interview. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan was removed from his post on July 24, 2026, two days before Netanyahu's appearance. The Guardian

Netanyahu also used the interview to frame Mamdani's stance as a betrayal of mayoral duty. "He's supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers," Netanyahu said. Fox News

The legal architecture surrounding a potential Netanyahu visit favors the Israeli leader. The United States generally recognizes immunity for visiting heads of state under international law, which legally bars New York City from executing an ICC warrant against Netanyahu. Reuters Donald Trump reinforced that position on or about July 20, 2026, stating that Netanyahu would not be arrested if he visits the United States. Reuters

The broader context here involves the intersection of three dynamics: the ICC's institutional turbulence following Khan's removal on July 24, the U.S. posture toward international criminal jurisdiction as it applies to allied heads of state, and the domestic politics of New York City under a mayor whose foreign-policy pronouncements carry no enforcement weight but considerable symbolic force. Netanyahu's decision to publicly commit to a September UN appearance effectively calls Mamdani's bluff, testing whether the mayor's rhetoric translates into any actionable response when the Israeli leader arrives on federal soil immune from municipal action.

The removal of Khan as ICC prosecutor adds a separate layer of uncertainty. The warrants against Netanyahu were issued under Khan's tenure, and his departure raises questions about the court's prosecutorial trajectory, though the warrants themselves remain in force regardless of leadership changes at the prosecutor's office.

In effect, Netanyahu's Fox News appearance was a declaration that he intends to test the convergence of these dynamics in person. If he follows through in September, the scene shifts to a city whose mayor has publicly declared him unwelcome, a federal government that has committed to shielding him from arrest, and an international court whose leadership has just undergone a destabilizing transition.