Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he would not hesitate to travel to New York, even after the city’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, vowed to honor an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against him on alleged war-crimes charges.

Speaking remotely from Israel at The New York Times DealBook Summit, Netanyahu dismissed the allegations tied to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Mamdani has been openly critical of Israel and has previously indicated he would enforce any ICC directive.

“I’ll come to New York,” Netanyahu declared. “Yes, of course I will.”

During the wide-ranging interview, Netanyahu also addressed his own corruption trial, calling the charges “bogus,” accusing prosecutors of attempting to remove him from office, and insisting that accepting a pardon would not require admitting guilt.

Asked about retirement plans at age 76, Netanyahu declined to give any indication of when he might step down.

The prime minister also spoke extensively about Israel’s war in Gaza, the corruption of the Palestinian Authority, the future governance of Gaza after the conflict, and the alarming rise in antisemitism worldwide.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)