New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday he examined every possible avenue and concluded there is no authority to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while simultaneously accusing him of war crimes and genocide. Mamdani called Netanyahu a 'war criminal' and 'architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinians,' according to reports. The statement qualifies his earlier push to enforce an International Criminal Court warrant during Netanyahu's upcoming UN visit, though he said he has not abandoned the intention.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani early Wednesday (04:37 Jerusalem) said he found no legal path to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while calling him a 'war criminal' and 'architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinians.' The statement follows a rapid sequence of clarifications: in an earlier bulletin at 04:00 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported Mamdani acknowledging no authority for an arrest and appealing to the federal government to act instead. That same evening (22:15 Jerusalem), Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) had called Mamdani a 'complete clown' over the arrest threat, as The Zioneer reported.
The thread began over the weekend (July 18) when Mamdani declared his intent to arrest Netanyahu during the UN General Assembly, citing the ICC warrant, and said he would use whatever legal authority he has. Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis and UN Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed the threat that evening (20:51 Jerusalem); Danon later (July 21, 15:44) told Mamdani at the UN that 'the one who should be arrested is not our prime minister — but you.' US Ambassador Mike Waltz rejected the threat on July 19 (19:05 Jerusalem) calling it 'pure political theater,' and President Trump reportedly dismissed it as well on July 21 (16:02 Jerusalem).
Mamdani's early-morning statement does not fully retract his earlier push — he said he has not abandoned the intention to bring about Netanyahu's arrest, despite acknowledging he lacks the authority. It remains unclear whether he will pursue any further action or if the federal government will respond to his call.
4 developments
- StrongNYC Mayor Mamdani: Netanyahu is a 'war criminal,' should be in The Hague — but no new laws
- StrongIsraeli officials dismiss Mamdani's arrest threat against Netanyahu; Danon says he should be arrested
- DevelopingSen. Fetterman calls NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani a 'complete clown' over Netanyahu arrest threat
- DevelopingNetanyahu compares NYC Mayor Mamdani to Imran Khan, says he is deflecting from failures
Source and signal
- Internal intake