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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was blasted by critics on social media Saturday after he disclosed that New York City attorneys were exploring whether NYC police could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits Manhattan for the United Nations General Assembly in September — suggesting the mayor lacked authority and was interfering with U.S. foreign policy.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end,” Mamdani said in an interview with The New York Times.
The mayor said the city’s Law Department was actively discussing the issue and reiterated his support for the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
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“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in ‘The Hague.’ He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that it is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years,” Mamdani told The New York Times.
“Federal authority trumps any local mayor’s wishes. This is pure political theater,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on X.
Waltz cited several legal barriers, including that America is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court, diplomatic protections surrounding U.N. visits and immunity for foreign leaders.
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House Republicans urged Mamdani to turn his attention to problems within the five boroughs rather than attempting to involve local police in international affairs.
“Mamdani is threatening to arrest the head of one of our closest allies,” House Republicans said on X. “He should stop politicizing local law enforcement and interfering with US foreign policy and instead focus on rising rent and housing prices and antisemitism in NYC.”
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who preceded Mamdani, said the proposal could also carry consequences for Americans serving overseas and promised to welcome Netanyahu to the city.
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“This isn’t a college protest. This is the City of New York,” Adams said on X. “Threatening to arrest the democratically elected leader of one of America’s closest allies during U.N. General Assembly week isn’t bold. It’s reckless.”
Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino went further, arguing on X that any effort to carry out the ICC warrant would amount to rebellion against federal authority.
“Just so we’re clear, this would be an act of insurrection,” Paladino said. “The United States is not a party to the ICC and it has no jurisdiction in this country. No law enforcement agency at any level has the authority to enforce its orders.”
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The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Israel has rejected the allegations and challenged the court’s jurisdiction.
The United States is not a member of the ICC. Federal law prohibits state and local government entities from cooperating with ICC requests or providing support to the court.
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The New York City Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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