'He is a war criminal': Mamdani says NYC cannot arrest Netanyahu on ICC warrant, urges US federal officials to step in
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Tuesday his office does not have the authority to carry out the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and called on US federal officials to step in....
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Tuesday that his office lacks the legal authority to carry out the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and he urged US federal officials to take action instead.
In a brief video message posted on social media, Mamdani described Netanyahu as “a war criminal” and accused him of being “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.” He said his administration had reviewed the legal options available to determine whether New York City could enforce the warrant if Netanyahu were to travel to the city.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” Mamdani said. “The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.”
The International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, said in 2024 that it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to Israel’s offensive in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
Mamdani also said that “anyone — with their eyes, with their heart, with their conscience — should recognise the devastation he has wrought and understand that he belongs before a court of law.” He added that he agreed with the ICC that Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for the charges brought against him.
The comments came a day after US President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not face arrest if he attended September’s United Nations General Assembly summit in New York.
Netanyahu’s office rejected Mamdani’s remarks and called the ICC a “kangaroo court.”
This report is based on a monitored public feed and attributes details to the original source.
Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017473/he-is-a-war-criminal-mamdani-says-nyc-cannot-arrest-netanyahu-on-icc-warrant-urges-us-federal-officials-to-step-in
