New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released a video on Tuesday denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal" And calling on the federal government to arrest him pursuant to an International Criminal Court warrant.
Mamdani stated his agreement with the ICC's decision to seek Netanyahu's arrest based on Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza. He noted that New York City itself lacks independent legal authority to carry out such an arrest.
In the video, Mamdani said: "I want to be very clear. Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."
The mayor called on federal authorities to enforce the ICC warrant if Netanyahu were to visit the city.
Mamdani's statement emerges amid continuing tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, now in its third year. Netanyahu has rejected the ICC's authority, characterizing the court's actions as antisemitic and biased. Israel is not an ICC member state and does not recognize its jurisdiction.