Netanyahu’s office hits back at NYC Mayor Mamdani over arrest | Today’s news
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office criticized Zohran Mamdani on Sunday (July 19th) after the New York mayor said his administration was investigating whether it could legally arrest the Israeli leader if he visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.
The Prime Minister’s Office dismissed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu as “bogus,” calling the ICC a “kangaroo court” with no jurisdiction over Israel or the United States. He also accused former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan of issuing the warrant to divert attention from the sexual abuse allegations that later surfaced against him.
Netanyahu’s office accuses Mamdani of political diversion
In a strongly worded statement posted on X, Netanyahu’s office informed about it Mamdani was attacking Israel to divert attention from the problems in New York, following the same playbook as Khan.
“Instead of supporting Khan’s criminal behavior, Mr. Mamdani should focus on repairing the damage his policies have done to New York,” the statement said, adding that the mayor appeared more interested in targeting “the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East.”
The Israeli government has also defended its military campaign in Gaza, saying Israel has taken “unprecedented military measures” to minimize civilian casualties in its fight against Hamas, which it accuses of using civilians as human shields.
Mamdani says the city is reviewing the legal authority
The remarks came after Mamdani told The New York Times that Netanyahu was a “war criminal” who “belongs in The Hague.”
The mayor said his administration is “actively in conversation” with the New York City Law Department to determine what legal authority the city would have if Netanyahu were to visit.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York, that’s what we’re going to do,” Mamdani said, adding that his administration would not seek to create new laws to do so.
The American envoy rejects the proposal
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz earlier dismissed Mamdani’s comments as “pure political theatre”.
Waltz argued that New York City does not have the authority to arrest a visiting foreign head of government, noting that the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC. He also mentioned the protection under the UN Headquarters Agreement, the immunity of the Prime Minister and the supremacy of federal authority over local governments.
ICC command background
In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Israel denies the allegations and disputes the jurisdiction of the ICC. The United States is also not a member of the ICC and is therefore not obligated under the Rome Statute to arrest or hand over persons sought by the court.
