Mamdani calls Netanyahu a ‘war criminal’ and demands that the Trump government comply with the ICC order

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani once again defended the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters United States territory. In a video published on social media this Tuesday (21), the Democrat stated that the federal government must comply with the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and declared that the Israeli prime minister “is not welcome” in the city.

“Yesterday, Donald Trump said that Benjamin Netanyahu would never be arrested in the United States. I want to be clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City,” Mamdani said.

The mayor explained that his administration evaluated the legal possibilities of acting directly, but concluded that the city hall does not have the competence to execute the international order.

“We analyzed all legal options available to the city. We found that we do not have independent legal authority to execute the International Criminal Court’s order,” he said.

According to Mamdani, it is up to the federal government to enforce the decision of the court based in The Hague. “The federal government, however, has this authority. And it must execute it”, he stated.

“Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” he reiterated.

The statement was published one day after Donald Trump stated that Netanyahu “will not be arrested in any way” while in the United States. The president spoke after Mamdani said, in an interview with New York Timeswhich was considering calling the New York police if the Israeli prime minister participates in the UN General Assembly in September.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The court points to evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, including the use of hunger as a method of war and deliberate attacks against civilians. Israel rejects the accusations and disputes the court’s jurisdiction.