New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said he examined every possible avenue and concluded there is no authority to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appealing to the federal government to do so instead. The statement appears to clarify his earlier push to enforce an International Criminal Court warrant.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani clarified his position on the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early Wednesday, saying he has no authority to order the arrest and calling on the federal government to do so.
'We examined every avenue — there is no authority to arrest Netanyahu. I call on the federal government to do so,' Mamdani said, according to reports.
As The Zioneer reported minutes earlier, Mamdani had previously stated he would seek to enforce an International Criminal Court warrant against Netanyahu. The new statement appears to reverse his earlier push, acknowledging that as a city official, he lacks the jurisdiction.
The statement comes amid criticism from figures such as Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), who called Mamdani 'a complete clown' over the arrest threat, and Israeli officials who dismissed the attempt as lacking authority. Mamdani's call for federal action leaves the matter with the U.S. government, which has not recognized the ICC warrant.
3 developments
- StrongIsraeli officials dismiss Mamdani's arrest threat against Netanyahu; Danon says he should be arrested
- StrongTrump reportedly rejects NYC mayor's threat to arrest Netanyahu during UN visit
- DevelopingIsrael's UN envoy Danon: Mamdani failed in managing New York, Netanyahu will address UN General Assembly
- StrongNYC Mayor Mamdani: Netanyahu is a 'war criminal,' should be in The Hague — but no new laws
Source and signal
- Internal intake