New York Mayor considers arresting Netanyahu during UN Summit

©picture alliance / newscom | DEBBIE HILL

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is looking into whether the city’s police department can arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the UN Summit in September. In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani said he is discussing the matter with the city’s legal team.

Mamdani called Netanyahu a war criminal and said he “belongs in The Hague,” a reference to the International Criminal Court, which he claims has issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister. At the same time, he admitted that he is not sure whether he actually has the legal authority to have the New York Police Department carry out such an arrest.

The issue revolves around the United Nations General Assembly, which will take place in September at UN headquarters in New York. Mamdani said his administration will only do what the law permits within the city. He had previously suggested that the police could execute ICC arrest warrants against, among others, Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The statements have sparked a major political clash. Netanyahu’s camp reacted sharply to the mayor’s remarks, while U.S. officials also dismissed the threat as political theater. Legal experts also question the feasibility of such an arrest, since the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and the federal government has authority over foreign relations and diplomatic protection.

©picture alliance / newscom | DEBBIE HILL