New York Mayor Mamdani says ICC warrant for Netanyahu should be taken seriously
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration would take seriously the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
"He's the subject of this arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, for war crimes, and he's the architect of the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as Israel's prime minister," Mamdani said during a press conference.
"When someone is charged with an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, it's something that should be taken seriously," he added.
Mamdani said his administration would act in accordance with "all applicable local laws."
Responding to questions about a proposed meeting between New York City's Commissioner for International Affairs, Ana Maria Archila, and Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Mamdani said the meeting would not take place.
"Our administration did not reach out to the prime minister of Iran. Our administration received a request from the Iranian consulate."
His comments followed remarks in a podcast interview in which he said his administration was reviewing how it would respond if Netanyahu visited New York for the UN General Assembly.
The remarks prompted responses from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and US President Donald Trump.
"ICC is a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis. Its bogus arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu," a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office read.
Trump said Netanyahu "will not be arrested in any way, shape, or form while in the United States of America", without mentioning Mamdani in a Truth Social post.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
