Mamdani Calls Netanyahu a ‘War Criminal’ and Calls on U.S. to Arrest Him

Mamdani Calls Netanyahu a ‘War Criminal’ and Calls on U.S. To Arrest Him

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stated that his office lacks the independent legal authority to execute an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The announcement, delivered via a video message posted to social media on Tuesday, follows previous assertions by the mayor that he was exploring ways to detain the Israeli leader.

Mamdani said his administration reviewed every available avenue under applicable law to see if the city could enforce the warrant should Netanyahu visit New York. He concluded that the city cannot act alone, but urged federal officials to intervene.

"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant."

Zohran Mamdani, New York Mayor, via social media

The shift in position comes after Mamdani previously told The New York Times he was working with a legal team to determine how to execute an arrest for alleged war crimes. At that time, the mayor described Netanyahu as a war criminal who belongs in The Hague and noted that municipal officials were in an active conversation with the city's Law Department regarding the scope of local authority.

In his latest remarks, Mamdani maintained his stance on the necessity of a trial, stating that anyone -- with their eyes, with their heart, with their conscience -- should recognize the devastation he has wrought and that Netanyahu belongs before a court of law.

The ICC issued the arrest warrant for Netanyahu on November 21, 2024. The Hague-based court cited reasonable grounds to believe the Prime Minister was responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes linked to Israel's offensive in Gaza following the Hamas cross-border attack on October 7, 2023.

The prospect of an arrest has been dismissed by U.S. President Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump vowed that Netanyahu would not be arrested in any way, shape, or form while in the United States, specifically regarding his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly summit in September.

Trump defended the Israeli leader, writing that Netanyahu is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran. He claimed that Iran has spent the last 47 years killing others and American soldiers, and has recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors. Trump argued that those who led Iran into a SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION are the ones who should be arrested.

The Office of the Israeli Prime Minister has strongly criticized Mamdani's position. In a response issued on Sunday, the office dismissed the ICC warrant as bogus and described the ICC as a kangaroo court without jurisdiction over the United States or Israel.

The Israeli administration further alleged that former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan used the warrant as a diversion to hide allegations of sexual misconduct. In a post on X, the Prime Minister's Office accused Mamdani of mimicking this strategy to hide domestic governance problems in New York City.

"Instead of backing Khan's criminal behaviour, Mr. Mamdani should focus on fixing the damage his policies have caused New York,"

Israeli Prime Minister's Office, via official release

Israel has consistently denied the ICC charges and challenged the legal standing of the court. The Israeli administration defended its Gaza operations, claiming the military used unprecedented wartime measures to limit civilian casualties while fighting Hamas, which Israel accuses of using civilians as human shields.

The legal deadlock is compounded by the fact that the United States is not a signatory to the Rome Statute. Consequently, Washington has no international legal obligation to extradite or detain individuals sought by the ICC.