The Mayor of New York, Zoqran Mamdani, stated that his administration is contemplating the potential arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he attend the UN General Assembly session in September. According to Mamdani, he is engaged in “active consultations” with the city’s legal department regarding his authority.
Mamdani conveyed this information in an interview with The New York Times on July 18th.
“I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani remarked, referring to the city where the International Court of Justice of the UN is located.
The mayor further asserted that Netanyahu is a “war criminal indicted by the International Criminal Court.” He added that many share this view due to the repercussions of the Israeli premier’s actions in recent years.
“Whatever the law in New York allows me to do, that’s what we will do. But we will not write our own laws for this purpose,” the mayor stated.
During last year’s election campaign, Mamdani had previously told the publication that he would order the police to arrest Netanyahu, who is now seeking re-election in Israel. At that time, the mayor explained that the arrest would execute an International Criminal Court warrant due to Netanyahu’s role in the Gaza Strip war. This conflict has been labeled as genocide by Mamdani and a UN commission.
Legal experts have expressed doubts about the legality of a New York City mayor arresting the Israeli leader. The United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court and does not recognize its jurisdiction, and the Trump administration recently launched a campaign to “dismantle” the court.
Harold Hongju Koh, a professor of international law at Yale Law School, described the situation as a “test of endurance between the mayor on one side and Trump and Netanyahu on the other.” He noted that at UN headquarters, the prime minister would likely possess immunity from arrest as a sitting head of government, but could become “vulnerable” while moving around New York City.
Netanyahu responded to the arrest threat on local radio, stating he was unconcerned and accused the mayor of supporting Hamas. The prime minister also claimed that Mamdani “does not care” that those who hate Jews and Israel ultimately hate the United States as well.
“Who is he defending? Hamas, which openly calls for the killing of every Jew on Earth, which committed that horrific pogrom – the worst pogrom of Jews since the Holocaust,” the prime minister declared.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, in a statement on July 19th, accused Mamdani of insufficient action against the rise of antisemitism in New York. The mayor rejects such accusations, pointing out that he has increased funding for the unit combating hate crimes.
“The Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu, will arrive in New York, proudly speak at the UN General Assembly, and stand before the world to declare Israel’s truth and its inalienable right to defend its citizens,” Danon stated.
Source: suspilne.media