New York is on fire. The city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a left-wing politician with a steady hand, dropped a bombshell: he is seriously studying the possibility of ordering the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrives at UN headquarters for the General Assembly in September. Yes, you read that right. The official, who had already promised during his campaign to imprison leaders sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC), has now put it on the table again.
In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani was blunt: «I think Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He is a war criminal who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court.» And he didn’t stop there: he called Israel an «apartheid regime» and said that opinion is shared by many, «simply because of what his actions have caused over all these years.»
But here’s the juicy part: the mayor admitted he is not sure if he has the authority to order the New York Police Department to arrest a foreign leader. However, he is debating the issue with his legal team. «Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do,» he said, leaving the door open to a diplomatic mess of epic proportions.
Mamdani’s move is not new. During his mayoral campaign last year, he had already promised to send police to enforce ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and even Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the time, the official argued that the arrest would amount to complying with a court order for Netanyahu’s role in the Gaza conflict, which Mamdani and a UN commission called genocide.
But experts have pushed back hard. They say the legality of the matter is more than dubious. The United States is not a party to the ICC and does not recognize its authority. To make matters worse, the Trump administration announced a campaign to «dismantle» it. Additionally, the UN Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protection to visiting heads of government, and head-of-state immunity also works in Netanyahu’s favor. In plain English: the mayor doesn’t have the authority to do it.
Netanyahu, who is seeking re-election in Israel, responded forcefully. In an interview with a local media outlet, he said he is not worried about the threat and accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas. «I think he should look at who he condemns and who he praises. He condemns Israel, the only democracy that defends American values,» he fired back. And he went further: «Who does he defend? Hamas, which openly calls for massacring all Jews in the world.» The prime minister also suggested that Mamdani «hates America.»
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon also went all out. On his X account, he wrote: «Instead of focusing on his responsibilities as mayor and confronting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he chose to incite hostility and generate headlines by attacking the State of Israel.» And U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz gave him a thumbs down: he listed four legal reasons why the threat will not be carried out, and concluded: «This is pure political theater.»
Meanwhile, the international community hopes the matter does not escalate, but in New York the atmosphere is heated. Will Mamdani dare to take the step? Or will it all be smoke and mirrors for ratings? What is certain is that the UN General Assembly promises to be a battlefield.
Para mí esto es un misil de justicia, metele preso a ese genocida de Netanyahu de una vez, Mamdani! Si la ONU es un chiste, que la ciudad haga lo que corresponde. Basta de impunidad para los crímenes de guerra israelíes, yo creo que es hora de que paguen. Viva Palestina libre, loco!
Para mí este Mamdani es un payaso que se cree sheriff del mundo. Netanyahu defiende a su pueblo, no es ningún criminal. Esto huele a zurdaje internacional queriendo joder a Israel. Yo creo que el tipo tendría que barrer calles en vez de hacer política berreta. Vergüenza ajena.