New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stated that his office is still looking into arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Mamdani made this statement on The New York Times’ ‘The Interview’ podcast, citing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu, which was issued in 2024 for alleged war crimes during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

International Implications

The ICC’s arrest warrant has been denounced by both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden. The US has not ratified the Rome Statute, which obliges countries to arrest individuals with ICC warrants against them. The Trump administration has escalated its battle against the ICC, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio promising to ‘dismantle’ the court.

Mamdani, a fierce critic of the Israeli government, has repeatedly criticized Israel’s war in Gaza as a ‘genocide.’ Israel denies these claims. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has called Mamdani’s comments ‘pure political theater,’ noting that the US is not a member of the ICC.

Netanyahu has dismissed concerns about Mamdani’s calls for his arrest, and Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has stated that Netanyahu will attend the United Nations General Assembly with pride and defend Israel’s right to defend its citizens.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.