Netanyahu's office hits back at NYC Mayor Mamdani over arrest remarks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Sunday (July 19) criticized Zohran Mamdani after the New York City Mayor said his administration was exploring whether
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Sunday (July 19) criticized Zohran Mamdani after the New York City Mayor said his administration was exploring whether it could legally arrest the Israeli leader if he visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September. The Prime Minister's Office dismissed the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu as "bogus" and described the ICC as a "kangaroo court" with no jurisdiction over Israel or the United States. It also accused former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan of issuing the warrant to divert attention from allegations of sexual misconduct that later emerged against him. Netanyahu's office accuses Mamdani of political diversion In a strongly worded statement posted on X, Netanyahu's office said Mamdani was following the same playbook as Khan by attacking Israel to distract from problems in New York.
"Instead of backing Khan's criminal behaviour, Mr. Mamdani should focus on fixing the damage his policies have caused New York," the statement said, adding that the mayor appeared more interested in targeting "the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East." The Israeli government also defended its military campaign in Gaza, saying Israel had taken "unprecedented wartime measures" to minimize civilian casualties while fighting Hamas, which it accused of using civilians as human shields. Mamdani says city reviewing legal authority The remarks came after Mamdani told The New York Times that Netanyahu was a "war criminal" who "belongs in The Hague." The mayor said his administration was in "active conversation" with New York City's Law Department to determine what legal authority the city would have if Netanyahu visited.
"Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do," Mamdani said, adding that his administration would not seek to create new laws for that purpose. US envoy dismisses proposal US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz earlier rejected Mamdani's comments, calling them "pure political theater." Waltz argued that New York City has no authority to arrest a visiting foreign head of government, noting that the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC. He also cited protections under the UN Headquarters Agreement, head-of-government immunity and the supremacy of federal authority over local governments. Background to ICC warrant The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel's military operations in Gaza.
The BriefWire