Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani of fueling antisemitism and creating a climate of fear targeting the city's Jewish community. Netanyahu made the accusation by pointing to a synagogue stabbing that occurred after Mamdani called him a 'war criminal'.
Netanyahu described the mayor's rhetoric as 'shameful' and argued that such statements turn the Jewish community into a target. Mamdani, for his part, had reiterated his call for New York to comply with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu over his military operations in Gaza.
The Israeli prime minister also announced that he would not postpone his planned visit to New York in September despite the controversy.
The tension between the two sides escalated at a time when debates over antisemitism are intensifying in the US. According to data from civil society organizations, anti-Jewish violence worldwide reached its highest level in three decades in 2025, with 20 people killed in Western countries.