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Zohran Mamdani said he was looking into whether he could have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visited the city under his tenure - a pledge New York City's mayor has previously made while on the campaign trail and after his win.
Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal" and said the city's legal department was looking at legal options for his arrest as Israel's leader may attend a United Nations General Assembly in September.
"We're not talking about a personal assessment of Benjamin Netanyahu," Mamdani said last week in an interview with The New York Times.
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"We're talking about the International Criminal Court and the fact that they have a warrant out for this prime minister's arrest."
The ICC's warrant, issued in November 2024, accuses Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity as a result of Israel's military actions in Gaza, which has sparked international outrage.
“He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” Mamdani said on "The Interview."
Mamdani has continuously criticized Netanyahu and Israel's military action in Gaza. But the United States does not recognize the court, and protections are in place for leaders who visit the UN's New York City headquarters.
Late last year, Netanyahu also said that Mamdani's claims would not stop him from visiting, and legal experts have questioned whether the mayor has the legal authority to carry out the warrant. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has previously said that "the New York City mayor does not have the power to do that."
In a statement posted to X on Sunday, July 19, the prime minister's office said "Mamdani should focus on fixing the damage his policies have caused New York."
Mamdani said in the recent interview he would follow the law regardless.
“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.
"I believe there is an importance to following the law as a leader who presides over our city and that's something I plan to do."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Mamdani wants Netanyahu arrested if he visits NYC
