New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said his administration is investigating whether it has any legal authority to take action if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September.Speaking to The New York Times, Mamdani said discussions were underway with the city’s legal team to determine what powers, if any, the mayor’s office could exercise. He said, “I will do whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, but we will not write our own laws.” He said he is in “active conversations” with the New York City Law Department on the matter.Mamdani also reiterated his criticism of the Israeli leader, saying, “I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu is in The Hague.” “He is a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” he said, referring to the International Criminal Court (ICC).The mayor argued that his stance reflected a broader international view. He added, “And you’ll find that’s an opinion that many people have, purely because of his actions over the last several years.”
ICC warrant against Netanyahu
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, charging that they committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.According to the court, there are reasonable grounds to believe that both leaders bear criminal responsibility for using starvation as a method of warfare by restricting the flow of essential humanitarian supplies, including food, water, fuel, medicine and electricity, into Gaza. The warrant also accuses them of carrying out deliberate attacks against civilians and crimes against humanity, including killing, torture and other inhumane acts compounded by humanitarian crisis.The court’s findings are based on evidence collected through May 2024.
Israel rejected the allegations
Netanyahu and Gallant have strongly denied the allegations. Netanyahu’s office described the ICC allegations as “absurd and false” and said Israel’s military operations are legitimate and necessary. Gallant has also rejected this decision and called it a dangerous precedent against the country’s right to self-defense.Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York later this year for the annual United Nations General Assembly, where world leaders gather for high-level meetings.