New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani called on federal authorities to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing him as the 'architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people' in Gaza and stating that he should be tried under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in 2024.

The International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, accusing him along with former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israeli military operations in Gaza. The court's ruling obligates 124 countries to arrest Netanyahu if he enters their territory, but Israel and the United States are not signatories to the court's founding statute that mandates this.

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Mamdani released an emotional video late Tuesday. Sitting between the flags of the United States and New York City, he looked directly into the camera and told New Yorkers seriously: 'Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other fugitive war criminal.' He added: 'Although we cannot end the genocide alone, we can decide whether our silence becomes another weapon, and we can examine every available means to defend the humanity and dignity of all peoples.' Mamdani also said that the city had reviewed 'all available legal avenues' to determine whether city authorities were authorized to execute the arrest warrant should Netanyahu travel there, but 'it is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to do so.'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Knesset session (Reuters)

Nevertheless, Mamdani stressed that 'the federal government has that authority, and I call on it to join the International Criminal Court and execute this warrant.' Mamdani had stated during his election campaign that he would order the police department to arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York. Netanyahu is expected to arrive in New York in September to participate in the 81st annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Shift among Democrats

Mamdani took this stance despite criticism from some Democrats after he said last week that he was having 'serious conversations' with his legal team about the possibility of arresting Netanyahu.

This stance also underscores a shift in the Democratic Party, some of whose members have shown a greater willingness to criticize Israel or turn U.S. support for it into an election issue.

A poll conducted this month by The Washington Post in collaboration with Ipsos found that a majority of Americans believe the United States should reduce or end military aid to Israel, with that figure reaching 74 percent among Democrats.

Protesters against Netanyahu in New York during his speech at the UN last September (Reuters)

According to the Pew Research Center, surveys show that a majority of Americans, including a majority of adults under 50 from both political parties, now view Israel negatively. This figure rises to 80 percent among Democrats and independents leaning Democratic.

Netanyahu's rejection

President Donald Trump rejected the idea of arresting Netanyahu. On Monday, he posted on his Truth Social platform that Netanyahu 'will not be arrested in any way while he is in the United States.'

Trump and his predecessor President Joe Biden criticized the court for issuing the warrant. Both administrations supported Netanyahu during the war on Gaza.

Netanyahu rejected the ICC allegations, calling them 'absurd.' He also accused the court of being a 'biased and discriminatory political body.' His office on Tuesday called it a 'sham court with no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis,' adding that the arrest warrant was 'a fake.' He said, 'Under Prime Minister Netanyahu's leadership, Israel has taken unprecedented wartime measures to limit harm to civilians in the face of Hamas.'

Relatives of the family of Firas al-Masri, his wife Salsabil, and their four children who were killed in Gaza City during funeral rites (AP)

Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN, Danny Danon, also responded to Mamdani. He wrote on social media: 'Zahran Mamdani, enough! Enough attacks on Jewish organizations! Enough communication with the Iranian regime! You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas propaganda. Do your job!'

Israeli and international human rights organizations, as well as two separate UN commissions, have described Israel's conduct during the Gaza war as genocide.