New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said his administration is examining the legal options surrounding the possible arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Mamdani stated that his legal team is reviewing the issue, adding that he believes Netanyahu should face proceedings at The Hague following the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The mayor stressed that while discussions are ongoing, his administration intends to act within the boundaries of the law and will not take any action outside established legal procedures.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials in 2024 over allegations of war crimes linked to the conflict that followed the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. The Israeli government has rejected the allegations.
The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, and both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden have criticised the court’s decision. The U.S. government has also maintained its opposition to the ICC’s actions against Israeli leaders.
Mamdani, who has frequently criticised Israel’s military operations in Gaza, has previously described the conflict as a genocide, a claim that Israel strongly denies.
Reacting to the mayor’s comments, Netanyahu’s office accused him of attempting to shift public attention through political statements. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz also dismissed the remarks, describing them as political theatre and noting that the United States is not a member of the ICC.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, meanwhile, reaffirmed that Netanyahu intends to attend the UN General Assembly and present Israel’s position before the international community.
