Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has warned that if elected as New York City mayor, he would order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.In an interview with The New York Times on Saturday (September 13), Mamdani said that under his administration, if Netanyahu set foot in the city, the New York Police Department would be instructed to detain him. He emphasized that even though the United States is not a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), he would respect the court’s arrest warrant.“This is a promise I intend to keep. This city will stand on the side of international law, and Netanyahu will be detained at the airport the moment he arrives,” Mamdani declared.Earlier in February 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. However, U.S. legal experts argue that such an arrest would be practically impossible since the U.S. does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction.Analysts note that New York is home to one of the largest Jewish populations outside Israel, and implementing such a move could create significant political and social tensions. It is worth mentioning that following the ICC’s warrant against Netanyahu, former U.S. President Donald Trump took steps against ICC judges, insisting that the court holds no authority over the United States or Israel.
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