Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he plans to visit New York City “soon,” weeks after Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov publicly invited him to come on January 1, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration day.
While Netanyahu said he would not be able to come on January 1, he confirmed his intention to visit the city at a later date.
“Even though I won’t be able to make it on that day, I assure you that I will visit New York soon. And I’d very much like to see you at that time,” Netanyahu wrote in a letter on official stationery to Vernikov, according to a report in The New York Post.
Vernikov’s invitation and political provocation
Vernikov, a conservative councilwoman, had extended the invitation as a pointed response to Mamdani’s campaign remarks, in which he vowed to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader ever set foot in New York.
She said the invite was meant to “reaffirm the deep and enduring bond” between New York City and Israel.
Vernikov later told The New York Post she was eager to see the mayor-elect’s reaction when Netanyahu eventually arrives.
‘No legal authority to arrest a sitting PM’
Dismissing Mamdani’s pledge, Vernikov said the mayor-elect has no legal standing to act on such threats.
“The mayor of New York City has no legal authority to arrest the sitting Prime Minister of the State of Israel,” she said.
“Mamdani either knew that and blatantly lied for clickbait and votes or he’s too incompetent to run a simple Google search,” she added.
Vernikov went further, calling Mamdani “a scam” and predicting that “the spoiled kids who voted for him will see him for the fraud he is.”
Antisemitism concerns loom large
Vernikov’s comments come amid a recent spate of antisemitic hate crimes in New York City. She said the Jewish community would warmly welcome Netanyahu’s visit given rising concerns.
“I look forward to seeing Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City and the Jewish community will be delighted to welcome him amidst skyrocketing antisemitism here at home and across the world,” she said.
Mamdani cites ICC warrant
During his campaign, Mamdani said he would instruct the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu if he returned to the city, citing a 2024 arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The United States does not recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction.
In late 2024, the court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, saying there were “reasonable grounds” to believe they bore responsibility for war crimes related to attacks on civilians.