Mamdani Blocks Netanyahu Visit
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unwelcome in the city in a video statement posted late on Tuesday, after his administration concluded that local authorities had no independent legal power to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people. He is responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, for the maiming of tens of thousands of children, as those who survive undergo amputation without anaesthesia, for the targeting of neonatal hospitals and maternity care centres, denying newborns even the chance to live,” he stated.
“The list goes on and on. All as we, as Americans, pay for the bombs that do the killing,” Mamdani continued.
The statement followed a legal review by Mamdani’s administration into whether New York City could detain Netanyahu if he travelled to the city.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does. And I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant. And I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” he stated.
ICC Arrest Warrant Details
The ICC issued the warrant on November 21, 2024. It alleges that Netanyahu bears responsibility for the war crimes of using starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally directing an attack against civilians, as well as the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.
Israel rejects the allegations and the court’s jurisdiction. Israeli officials maintain that the military targets Hamas and other armed groups and have accused the ICC of political bias.
Netanyahu may travel to New York for the UN General Assembly in September, although his attendance and itinerary have not been formally confirmed. The General Assembly’s high-level debate is scheduled for September 22 to 28.
Political Reactions Continue
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, accused Mamdani of repeating ‘blood libels’ and said his position would not prevent Netanyahu from travelling to the city.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz dismissed the proposed arrest as ‘pure political theatre’.
US President Donald Trump had already rejected the prospect of Netanyahu’s arrest, saying the Israeli leader “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America”.
The US is not a member of the ICC and rejects the court’s authority over American and Israeli nationals.
The Office of the Mayor of New York City, via Viory.Video
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