New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” and urged the US government to enforce an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) if he enters the US, Anadolu reports.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people,” Mamdani said in a video message Tuesday posted on the US social media platform X.
He accused Netanyahu of being responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, targeting hospitals, and blocking food and humanitarian aid from reaching people in need in the Gaza Strip.
Mamdani said that the US bears responsibility because, he said, “we, as Americans, pay for the bombs that do the killing.”
“There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest,” he said. “Anyone with their eyes, with their heart, with their conscience, should recognize the devastation he has wrought and understand that he belongs before a court of law.”
READ: Mamdani says New York City reviews authority to arrest Netanyahu during UN visit: Report
‘Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City’
Mamdani said his administration does not have the independent legal authority to enforce the warrant.
“The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant. And I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” he stressed.
He added that while New York City cannot end the conflict, it can choose how to respond.
“While we cannot end the genocide on our own, we can decide whether our silence will become another weapon,” he said. “We can examine every tool we have to defend the humanity and dignity of all people.”
US President Donald Trump said Monday that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
READ: Mamdani says ICC warrant against Netanyahu should be ‘taken seriously’
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