Zohran Mamdani urges US federal government to enforce ICC warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called on the US federal government to enforce the International Criminal Courts ICC arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the United States while reiterating that the Israeli leader is not welcome in New York CityIn a video posted on X on Tuesday local time Mamdani said his administration had examined whether New York City had the legal authority to execute the ICC warrant but concluded that such powers rest solely with the federal governmentMamdani says city lacks legal authorityMamdani said the citys legal review found that municipal authorities do not have the power to enforce an ICC arrest warrantMy administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Courts arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant The federal government however does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant he saidHe added Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City nor is any other war criminal at largeMayor reiterates support for ICC processMamdani also defended his support for the ICCs decision saying allegations of war crimes should be examined through legal proceedingsAs Ive said I agree with the ICC that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC he saidThe mayor further criticised continued US support for Israel during the Gaza conflict alleging that American assistance had enabled military operations resulting in civilian casualties He argued that the ICC arrest warrant reflected the seriousness of the allegations and that they should be adjudicated before a courtRemarks ahead of possible UN visitMamdanis latest comments follow an earlier interview with The New York Times in which he said his administration was holding discussions with the New York City Law Department regarding the citys legal authority should Netanyahu visit New York for the United Nations General Assembly in SeptemberWhatever the law allows me to do in New York City thats what we will do but we wont be writing our own laws to that end Mamdani had said adding that he believed Netanyahu belongs in The HagueTrump rejects possibility of arrestUS President Donald Trump rejected the possibility of Netanyahu being arrested while in the United StatesBenjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested in any way shape or form while in the United States of America Trump wrote on Truth SocialHe also described Netanyahu as fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran and argued that those responsible for Irans actions should instead face arrestIsrael rejects ICC warrantThe Israeli Prime Ministers Office criticised Mamdanis remarks describing the ICC arrest warrant as bogus and calling the court a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over either Israel or the United StatesIn a statement Netanyahus office accused Mamdani of targeting Israel instead of focusing on issues affecting New York City It also defended Israels military campaign in Gaza asserting that the Israeli military had taken extensive measures to minimise civilian casualties while fighting HamasBackground to the ICC caseThe legal dispute stems from arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court in November 2024 against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the conflict in GazaIsrael has rejected the allegations and challenged the ICCs jurisdiction The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute the treaty that established the ICC and is therefore not under an international legal obligation to enforce the courts arrest warrantsWith inputs from ANI