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New York City politician Zohran Mamdani has said he was reviewing whether his management could apprehension Benjamin Netanyahu if arsenic expected nan Israeli premier curate visits nan metropolis for nan UN wide assembly successful September.
Mamdani’s comments connected Saturday’s section of nan New York Times’s the Interview podcast echoed ones he had made to nan publication arsenic he successfully ran for politician past fall.
“I judge that premier curate Netanyahu belongs successful The Hague,” Mamdani said, referring to nan Dutch metropolis that is location to nan world criminal court, which issued an apprehension warrant for Netanyahu successful November 2024 complete alleged warfare crimes successful Gaza. “He’s a warfare criminal who has been charged by nan world criminal court, and what you will find is that is an sentiment that is held by many, purely because of what his actions person wrought complete these past galore years.”
Mamdani said it was unclear to him whether he has nan ineligible authority to bid nan New York constabulary section (NYPD), which he oversees, to detain a overseas leader for illustration Netanyahu. But he said he was successful “an progressive conversation” pinch nan city’s rule section astir nan matter.
“Whatever nan rule allows maine to do successful New York City, that’s what we will do,” Mamdani added. “But we won’t beryllium penning our ain laws to that end.”
The warrant which nan ICC issued for nan apprehension of Netanyahu and different Israeli leaders accused them of warfare crimes and crimes against humanity successful Gaza, including “starvation arsenic a method of warfare, and … murder, persecution, and different inhumane acts”.
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani characterized Israel’s subject actions successful Gaza as a genocide and Netanyahu arsenic a warfare criminal, telling nan New York Times successful September that he would bid NYPD to apprehension Netanyahu successful nan arena he ever group ft there. He besides condemned nan 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks connected Israel arsenic a “horrific warfare crime”.
The Times study backmost past cited ineligible experts who judged that having Netanyahu arrested “would beryllium a applicable impossibility” for Mamdani – and could bring him into nonstop conflict pinch nan US’s national government.
The US is not a statement to nan ICC and does not admit its authority. And successful February 2025, early successful his presidency, Donald Trump ordered economical sanctions against nan court, maintaining that it lacked jurisdiction complete nan US aliases Israel.
Trumps’s US caput of state, Marco Rubio, past precocious vowed to “dismantle” nan court, accusing it of “waging a warfare against our country, not pinch bullets aliases missiles” but pinch “the unit of alleged world law”.
Netanyahu, who faces a reliable re-election campaign successful October, brushed disconnected Mamdani’s apprehension threats successful a caller power appearance, saying he was not concerned.
Though Mamdani denies nan accusation, Netanyahu besides alleged Mamdani supports Hamas.
“He’s pinch nan panic actors,” Netanyahu told New York’s WABC. “And I deliberation nan problem is that he doesn’t admit and he doesn’t attraction that those who dislike nan Jews and Israel yet dislike America.”
Israel’s ambassador to nan UN, Danny Danon, accused Mamdani – New York’s first Muslim politician – of failing to face rising antisemitism successful his city. Mamdani has countered specified accusations by noting that he has accrued backing for an agency to combat dislike crimes.
“Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will travel to New York, reside nan United Nations General Assembly pinch pride, and guidelines earlier nan world to authorities Israel’s truth and its unwavering correct to take sides its citizens,” Danon said.
Trump’s ambassador to nan UN, Mike Waltz, besides dismissed Mamdani’s threat arsenic “pure governmental theater”, saying nan US is not a personnel of nan ICC.
World leaders from United Nations member-states are expected to recreation to New York successful September for nan body’s yearly session. Netanyahu has often participated successful this arena successful erstwhile years.
“We’re not talking astir a individual appraisal of Benjamin Netanyahu,” Mamdani told nan Times’ podcast. “We’re talking astir nan world criminal tribunal and nan truth that they person a warrant retired for this premier minister’s arrest, and I deliberation it’s important to talk astir nan weight that that has arsenic a complaint and that also, arsenic nan politician of New York City, I’ll beryllium pursuing nan laws of New York City.”
Mamdani’s comments connected Saturday came arsenic his stance connected Israel is becoming little fringe wrong nan Democratic party.
Close to half of US House Democrats connected Wednesday voted to portion $3.3bn successful subject assistance to Israel. It was not capable to walk nan measure. But it signified a buckling of unconditional support for Israel, a displacement that is besides reflected successful nationalist opinion polling.
Asked by nan Times astir nan governmental weight he places connected Israel and support for it by nan US, Mamdani said ongoing warfare successful Gaza was motivating voters passim nan country, including erstwhile his endorsed candidates swept House races successful New York successful June.
“It is difficult to find a much bankrupt argumentation attack than what our state has done to Gaza and to Palestine,” he said.
