Mamdani reiterates pledge to arrest Netanyahu

New York City’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has once again reaffirmed this week that he will honour the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should he come to New York— a stance Mamdani had already expressed before the election.

According to local reports, outgoing mayor Eric Adams encouraged Netanyahu during a meeting to attend Mamdani’s inauguration ceremony.

Speaking live on ABC7, Mamdani described New York City as a ‘city of international law’ and said the city would honour the ICC’s 2024 arrest warrant, which accuses Netanyahu of deliberate attacks on civilians and the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

He stated that he has repeatedly said New York is a city of international law, and that respecting international law means recognising the arrest warrants issued by the ICC— whether they concern Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin.

He further said that although New York is a global city, its residents want consistency in upholding shared values. Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly review the ICC arrest warrants and explore every legal avenue to implement them.

Before the election, Mamdani told Martha MacCallum on Fox News’ ‘The Story’ in October that he would arrest Netanyahu if legally permitted, because New York ‘wants to uphold such principles.’

Mamdani added that he would not create any new laws for this purpose, and criticised former President Donald Trump, saying, ‘Unlike Donald Trump, I am not illiterate; I want to remain within the limits of existing law.’ He said he would use all available legal avenues but would not make laws of his own.

He acknowledged that the United States is not a signatory to the ICC treaty, but argued that the city should still attempt to enforce ICC arrest warrants as long as doing so remains consistent with all applicable national laws.

Khaborwala/TSN