New York Mayor Calls Netanyahu 'War Criminal' But Admits No Power to Arrest

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has again labeled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "war criminal" and the "architect of a terrible genocide against the Palestinian people," while acknowledging he lacks the legal authority to detain him.

Adams made these remarks in a CNN interview, reiterating sentiments he expressed during his election campaign. At that time, he had pledged to order the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city, aiming to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

However, Adams has since admitted that the mayor of New York City does not have the power to enforce international arrest warrants. In a video released previously, he conceded this limitation and instead called on the federal government to take action. He also mentioned exploring ways to detain the Prime Minister in a July interview with The New York Times.

During the CNN interview, Adams stated, "I certainly believe that it is something that should be respected, because what we want to see, and what we talked about today, is adherence to our political values and a belief in accountability." He also revealed he met with the Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, ahead of the UN General Assembly, discussing the importance of the rule of law.

"If the International Criminal Court determines that someone is worthy of arrest for violating these laws, who are we to say that someone should be above that? And I think it is very clear that everyone should be held accountable," Adams added.