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Arrest Threat vs ICC
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani doubled down on a threat to order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the United Nations General Assembly in September, saying, "Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do."
“LOWER MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- Mayor Zohran Mamdani doubled down on his threat on Monday, that he would not hesitate to order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the United Nations General Assembly in September”
Mamdani said he would seek to uphold a warrant for Netanyahu's arrest issued nearly two years ago over the war in Gaza, and he told The New York Times, "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague."
The ABC7 New York report said Mamdani has called the Israeli offensive in Gaza an act of "genocide" that has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, and it said he condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis and started the war.
President Donald Trump quickly ruled it out, posting on WABC Radio, "Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America."
Netanyahu dismissed the threat in the same ABC7 New York account, saying, "He's with the terror actors."
Trump Pushback and Legal Clash
CNBC reported that Trump said Netanyahu "will not be arrested" when he visits New York in September, pushing back on Mamdani's suggestion that such an arrest could happen.
CNBC tied the dispute to the International Criminal Court, noting that the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on Nov. 21, 2024, alleging he is "responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare" and "intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population" in Gaza.
NBC New York said Mamdani refused to rule out attempting to arrest Netanyahu if he returns for the UN General Assembly, and it quoted him saying, "That's an active conversation with our legal department in seeing what the prospects are we have here in our municipality."
NBC New York also described Netanyahu's office response, quoting it: "The ICC is a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis."
The NBC New York account further said the Trump administration has brought sanctions against Khan and a dozen other ICC staff in retaliation for warrants the court issued over the war in Gaza and investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.
Democrats Condemn, Stakes Rise
The Washington Post reported that after Mamdani said there was an "active conversation" among his staff about whether to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrives in September for the U.N. General Assembly, some Democrats condemned him.
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania told Fox News, "Obviously, America’s not even part of that corrupt court. And so he’s just a clown to even say that," referring to the International Criminal Court.
The Washington Post also said Mamdani's comments came as the New York Times voted Wednesday to cut off military aid to Israel for the next fiscal year, and it quoted Rep. Ro Khanna saying, "The ICC and ICJ have a legal process. That case will go forward."
In the same Washington Post account, Mamdani's predecessor Eric Adams said threatening to arrest Netanyahu "isn't bold. It’s reckless," while the Post described the debate over Mamdani's stance on arresting Netanyahu for alleged war crimes.
The NBC New York report said Netanyahu is expected to attend the general assembly, and it framed the immediate stakes as whether a local attempt to detain him would collide with U.S. federal law and diplomatic protections for visiting heads of gov’t.
