Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for deflecting from his performance in New York after Mamdani called Netanyahu a “war criminal.” The prime minister’s team responded on Sunday following Mamdani’s comments that his administration was investigating if the city could detain Netanyahu during an anticipated visit based on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) warrant.

Netanyahu’s office dismissed the ICC as having no authority over Americans or Israelis. “The ICC is a kangaroo court,” stated Netanyahu’s team in a Sunday post. The response came amid news that Netanyahu might visit the White House to meet with President Donald Trump.

“The ICC’s baseless arrest warrant, initiated by a disgraced former ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan, was issued shortly before Khan faced allegations of sexual misconduct,” Netanyahu’s office declared. “This was Khan’s strategy to evade scrutiny.”

The office further accused Mamdani of using similar distraction techniques. “Instead of aligning with Khan’s unethical actions, Mr. Mamdani should address the issues caused by his policies in New York,” the statement concluded.

Netanyahu’s office emphasized that Israel planned to overlook the ICC warrant as it continued efforts to uproot Hamas in Gaza. “Israel, under Netanyahu’s guidance, has taken unparalleled steps in wartime to limit civilian harm while confronting Hamas, a group that uses Palestinians as shields,” the statement said.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented on the situation, suggesting Mamdani was engaging in “political theater.” “This is a communist, antisemitic mayor, making noise for his audience,” Pompeo noted. “There’s no realistic possibility of him arresting Prime Minister Netanyahu in New York.”

Some Democrats have voiced disagreement with Mamdani’s position, arguing it might inspire enemies domestically and internationally. “This isn’t a college protest,” former NYC Mayor Eric Adams remarked. “Threatening to detain the leader of a key ally during U.N. week is reckless.” Adams added that such rhetoric could potentially endanger Americans globally.

Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania criticized Mamdani, advising him to “sit down,” hinting that Mamdani’s actions were not within his role’s scope.

Eric Mack, a breaking news reporter, covers political, election, foreign affairs, and governmental stories.