Mamdani says it was 'strange' to get called out by Netanyahu after calling to arrest him
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani told podcaster Theo Von it was ‘strange’ to get called out by Israeli PM Netanyahu at the U.N., the same head of state Mamdani has called to be arrested.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told podcaster Theo Von Thursday he found it "strange" to be called out by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in late September.
"And he called you out too," Von recalled. "Was that weird? Was that scary?"
"It was strange," Mamdani said. "I mean, I was — I was having a meeting with the prime minister of the Netherlands at the LGBTQ center in downtown Manhattan," Mamdani recalled. "Then I get back from that meeting, and it's like, ‘Oh, by the way, here's what he was saying at the U.N.’"
Netanyahu had criticized Mamdani directly during the speech, accusing him of spreading "lies" about Israel and trying to prevent him from speaking in the city.
WATCH: MASS WALKOUT BEFORE NETANYAHU SPEECH PROMPTS FIERY RESPONSE FROM ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER
A split image shows New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Getty Images)
"So, to all those spreading these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall or in the office of the antisemitic mayor of New York, I say this: Shame on you," Netanyahu said. "Shame on you for distorting the facts. Shame on you for inverting victim and aggressor. Shame on you for spitting in the face of truth, Mr. Mamdani."
Mamdani initially promised to have Netanyahu arrested during his mayoral campaign and later called on the federal government to execute an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) if the Israeli leader visits New York.
The ICC issued the warrant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu and the Israeli government have rejected the allegations and challenged the court's actions.
Von asked the mayor, "But if you had your say, we would have arrested the guy, you think?"
"If I had my say, the U.S. government would have joined the ICC, honored every single warrant that they've issued," Mamdani said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters on Sept. 24, 2026, in New York City. World leaders gathered in New York for the annual session, with global issues ranging from the threat of artificial intelligence to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
"It's so bizarre," Von said, referring to Netanyahu mentioning Mamdani by name. "Did it feel personal then?"
"All of this is an attempt to distract from responsibility, name as many people as possible, try and make it into a back and forth," Mamdani said.
"It's not about me and him. It's about the fact that he's the architect of a genocide," he added. "And it's like, ‘Yeah, if I was the architect of a genocide, I would probably talk about anything but that.’"
Rafael Mangual of the Manhattan Institute’s Policing & Public Safety Initiative told Fox News Digital: "The most frustrating aspect of the exchange is the casual, evidence-free attachment of a label (genocide) to a conflict that so obviously fails to meet the definition of that term. It is a bit surprising that the Prime Minister decided to call the mayor out directly, but only because Mamdani's opinion on the matter is so inconsequential, as was revealed by the fact that he was forced to renege on his campaign promise to arrest him. But I suspect New Yorkers would prefer it if the mayor were as interested in arresting the actual criminals impacting the lives of the citizens of his city."
Democratic strategist Julian Epstein said to Fox News Digital: "The movement that Mandami and people like El Sayed of Michigan give cover to its perhaps the most racist movement on the mother earth. Their DSA organizing group cheers Hamas after their October 7th intentional, primitive massacre of innocent Israelis. And the accusations of genocide and apartheid against Israel are not only lies, but they are used to deflect attention from the fact that the terrorists who the socialists give cover to are engaging in those very crimes every day."
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Podcaster and comedian Theo Von is one of the major podcasters who interviewed Trump, but has since been critical of his agenda in office. (Theo Von YouTube channel)
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Fox News' Emma Bussey and Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
