New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has revealed he is consulting legal advisers over whether he has the authority to order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this year.
Speaking on the issue, Mamdani said:
"I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court."
The mayor, who has previously described Israel as an "apartheid regime," said he is unsure whether he has the legal authority to direct the New York Police Department (NYPD) to detain a foreign head of government but confirmed that discussions with the city's legal team are ongoing.
He added that any action taken would depend on what the law permits.
The UN General Assembly, which brings together world leaders from around the world, is scheduled to take place in September at the UN headquarters in New York.
Mamdani has previously pledged to enforce International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants against wanted leaders, including Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin, if they entered New York under circumstances where such enforcement was legally possible.
In 2024, the ICC stated that it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu bore responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with Israel's military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
The remarks drew a swift response from Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, who condemned the mayor's comments.
"Instead of focusing on his responsibilities as mayor and confronting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he has chosen to incite hostility and generate headlines by attacking the State of Israel. It will not change a thing.
Israeli Prime Minister @netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens. And if anyone should be arrested, it is @NYCMayor Zohran Mamdani."
Netanyahu has also previously accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and, during a recent New York radio interview, alleged that the mayor harbours hostility toward the United States.
The question of whether a local US official has the legal authority to enforce an ICC arrest warrant against a visiting foreign leader remains legally and diplomatically complex, and no decision has been announced.
Post a Comment