NY Mayor Mamdani mulls arresting Netanyahu at UN summit, sparking rebuke

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reportedly in discussions about potentially arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an upcoming United Nations summit.

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I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague.

Mamdani, a leftist who has previously labeled Israel an "apartheid regime," stated in an interview that he believes Netanyahu "belongs in The Hague" and is a "war criminal" charged by the International Criminal Court. He acknowledged uncertainty about his authority to order such an arrest but confirmed he is consulting with the city's legal team. "Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do," Mamdani said, vowing to use the NYPD to enforce arrest warrants against leaders like Netanyahu or Russian President Vladimir Putin if legally permissible.

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He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.

The International Criminal Court had previously stated in 2024 that there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel's offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The UN General Assembly is scheduled to convene in September in New York.

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Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do.

In response, Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, sharply rebuked Mamdani. Danon accused the mayor of inciting hostility and generating headlines by attacking Israel, instead of focusing on his mayoral responsibilities and combating antisemitism in New York. Danon asserted that Netanyahu would address the UN with pride, stating Israel's truth and its right to self-defense. He controversially suggested that Mamdani himself should be arrested, accusing him of secretly hating America.

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Instead of focusing on his responsibilities as mayor and confronting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he has chosen to incite hostility and generate headlines by attacking the State of Israel.