New York (AFP) – New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is in talks over whether to try to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an upcoming UN summit, he said in an interview published Saturday – prompting a sharp rebuke from Netanyahu’s camp.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani told The New York Times. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”
The leftist Mamdani, who has called Israel an “apartheid regime,” added: “That is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”
Mamdani admitted he was not sure if he has the power to order the New York Police Department to detain a foreign leader but is discussing the matter with the city’s legal team.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do,” he said.
The UN General Assembly, a major gathering of world leaders, takes place in September at UN headquarters in New York.
Mamdani in the past has vowed to send the NYPD to enforce arrest warrants against leaders wanted by the International Criminal Court, including Netanyahu or Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Hague-based ICC said in 2024 that it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the unprecedented […] attack by Hamas.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, quickly called out Mamdani.
“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,” Danon wrote on X.
“It will not change a thing. Israeli Prime Minister @netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens,” he said.
“And if anyone should be arrested, it is @NYCMayor Zohran Mamdani.”
Netanyahu has accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas, saying on a recent New York radio show: “I think, secretly, he hates America.”
From a very basic google sesrch, Rhodesia seems to have been conquered by britain in roughly 1923, then regained independence in 1979/1980. That is about 57 years. The US has been around for 250, longer if you count the colonies preceeding it. They arent really at the point where they can just “go back”. Also “go back to where they came from” okay. So, the guy born and raised in the middle of… Lets say, Vermont. His father and mother were both born in the US. Their parents were born in the US. Their parents were born in Russia, China, and Spain. Where does he go? None of these countries have a language he can speak, a culture that he is familiar with, a similar climate, or any real connection to him. Additionally, i agree that the USA should probably back off from attacking other countries, and that they can be a but stuck in the past on a few topics… But socialism doesnt work at scale. It either becomes capitalism with slightly more restrictions on buisnesses, (which is good, but is still capitalism), or it causes millions to starve to death. (Similar to Communism). (Not the point of the conversation, though)
Oooh you’re a moron. I’m going to block you because you have worthless opinions I never want to read.
I’m legitimately trying to find out how you think this could work. I have You a real-world example of someone who lives in the US, and asked what would happen to this person. If you would like to explain your thinking on how any of thst would work, please, tell me.