Benjamin Netanyahu responds to Zohran Mamdani after being called a “war criminal”: “Shame on you for supporting Hamas”

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly attacked New York’s Democratic mayor, Zohran Mamdani, after he maintained his criticism of the Israeli leader. The dispute erupted in the context of Mamdani’s statements regarding the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu.

In a message posted on X on Monday, September 22, 2026, Netanyahu told the New York mayor to “be ashamed” and accused him of supporting Hamas, the organization designated as terrorist by Israel and the United States, as well as of inciting riots against Jews in New York. The Israeli prime minister announced that he would go to the United Nations, where he intends to defend the actions of Israeli soldiers and respond to the accusations.

Mamdani refused to retract statements made during the election campaign, when he said he would order Netanyahu’s arrest if he came to New York. The mayor called the prime minister a “war criminal” and “the architect of a terrible genocide” against Palestinians.

The conflict between the two dates back to July, when Mamdani said that Netanyahu was not welcome in New York and that U.S. authorities should enforce the warrant issued by the ICC. Netanyahu then accused him of fueling hatred and antisemitism. The ICC accuses the Israeli prime minister of war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2024.