New York Mayor, Zohran Mamdani is in talks over whether to try to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an upcoming UN summit, prompting a sharp rebuke from Netanyahu’s camp.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani stated. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”
The leftist mayor, who has previously labeled Israel an “apartheid regime,” added that this opinion is widely held purely because of what Netanyahu’s actions have wrought over the years.
Mamdani admitted he was not certain if he has the legal power to order the New York Police Department to detain a foreign leader, but confirmed he is discussing the matter with the city’s legal team. He emphasized that whatever the law allows him to do in New York City is what they will do.
The UN General Assembly, a major gathering of world leaders, takes place in September at the UN headquarters in New York. Mamdani has vowed in the past to use the NYPD to enforce arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against wanted leaders, including Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Hague-based ICC stated in 2024 that it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, quickly criticized Mamdani’s statements.
“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.”Danon wrote on X.
Netanyahu has also accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas, stating during a recent New York radio show that he believes, secretly, the mayor hates America.
