Zohran Mamdani says as mayor he would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he traveled to New York

"If he wins his fall election, Zohran Mamdani would order New York's police department to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu in the event that the Israeli prime minister ever traveled there, the city's leading mayoral candidate said in a recent interview. Mamdani the Democratic nominee in the 4 November election alleged to the New York Times on Thursday that Netanyahu was a war criminal who was committing genocide with Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to a report published by the outlet on Friday."

"He said he would honor an international criminal court (ICC) arrest warrant issued in November 2024 for Netanyahu's arrest over alleged Gaza war crimes by having the Israeli leader taken into custody at the airport if he ever steps foot in New York and Mamdani is the mayor. This is something that I intend to fulfill, Mamdani remarked, reiterating a pledge he had made earlier in the mayoral race, as the Times put it. It is my desire to ensure that this be a city that stands up for international law."

Zohran Mamdani is the Democratic nominee in the 4 November mayoral election and has pledged to order New York police to arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu if Netanyahu visits New York while Mamdani is mayor. Mamdani alleged that Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide with Israel's military campaign in Gaza and said he would honor an ICC arrest warrant issued in November 2024 by having Netanyahu taken into custody at the airport. New York's police commissioner serves at the mayor's pleasure, but legal experts judged such an arrest practically impossible and warned it could bring direct conflict with the federal government. The United States is not a party to the ICC and has imposed sanctions against the court.

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