In an interview with The New York Times, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his planned September visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, if local law permits. Mamdani called Netanyahu a war criminal and said his place is in The Hague.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told The New York Times in an interview published today that he would arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his planned September visit to New York for the UN General Assembly "if the law allows." Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal" and said his place is in The Hague. The remarks update Mamdani's earlier statements earlier today at 13:43 Jerusalem, when The Zioneer reported that he was examining the legal authority to arrest Netanyahu and had not abandoned the plan.
The Zioneer first reported at 13:43 Jerusalem that Mamdani claimed to be in discussions to arrange for Netanyahu's arrest. In subsequent reports at the same hour, we noted that he was clarifying the legal authority with the city's legal department and called Netanyahu a "war criminal." By the end of the hour, we reported that he was examining the possibility and had not abandoned the plan.
Prime Minister Netanyahu responded to Mamdani this week by saying the mayor "secretly hates America," as The Zioneer reported on July 15. Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis warned in June that Mamdani's incitement "will end in very bad and violent acts," as we reported on June 28. Mamdani, a progressive Democrat, has a record of hostile statements toward Israel, including opposing its recognition as a Jewish state and campaigning with a figure accused of supporting Hamas, as The Zioneer reported in June.
It remains unclear whether the New York City legal department will grant Mamdani the authority to arrest a visiting head of state. The mayor's office has not released a legal opinion. Netanyahu's planned address to the UN General Assembly is scheduled for September.
3 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu says NYC Mayor Mamdani secretly hates America
- DevelopingIsrael's UN ambassador says Mamdani failed New York, Netanyahu to address UN
- DevelopingNYC mayoral candidate Mamdani opposes Israel as a 'Jewish state'
- DevelopingIsrael's NYC consul general warns Mamdani's incitement 'will end in very bad, violent acts'
Source and signal
- Internal intake