A Dangerows Vow
NYC Mayor Candidate Zohran Vows to Arrest Netanyahu if He Steps Foot in the City
NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani vows to enforce potential ICC arrest warrants against Israeli PM Netanyahu if he visits the city, comparing him to Putin and citing international law.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has publicly affirmed that if elected, he believes the city should enforce potential International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, drawing a direct parallel between the Israeli leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mamdani’s comments, made during a recent interview on CNN, addressed previous assertions that he would seek to have Netanyahu arrested should the Prime Minister attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York next year.
Upholding International Law
While acknowledging his position is bound by existing legal avenues, Mamdani insisted that his administration would prioritize international jurisprudence and transparency.
"I think that our city should uphold the warrants that the International Criminal Court issues, whether for Benjamin Netanyahu or Valdimir Putin," Mamdani declared. He quickly added a disclaimer: "Also, I am not Donald Trump. I will follow the laws as they are, not bend them to my will. We will pursue every legal avenue to make sure that accountability is present."
The candidate framed his stance as a matter of civic principle:
"I have said time and time again that this is a city that believes in international law. This is a city that deserves to have our values reflected in our commitments."
Genocide Accusation and Constituent Horror
Mamdani utilized the platform to deliver a harsh indictment of Netanyahu's conduct in Gaza, accusing the Prime Minister of orchestrating a genocide and detailing the devastating impact of the conflict on New York's Palestinian community.
"This is a man that has orchestrated a genocide that has killed one Palestinian child every hour for close to two years," Mamdani claimed.
He emphasized that the call for accountability originates from New Yorkers themselves.
"This is someone whose conduct I hear about from New Yorkers across the Five Boroughs. They come to me with a horror as to what they have lost. A Palestinian New Yorker told me about losing 85 members of her family to the Israeli military in Gaza. It's unconscionable," he stated.
Mamdani concluded that enforcing accountability represents a core mayoral duty:
"A mayor has a responsibility to the people of this city and an opportunity to show your values as the leader of this city."
Mamdani's explicit commitment to enforcing potential ICC warrants follows a warning from President Donald Trump that the candidate would require federal funding to implement his campaign agenda, highlighting the clash between local political ambitions and federal foreign policy interests.