NYC Mayor Urges US to Join ICC, Arrest Netanyahu

New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani has called on the United States to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) and enforce its arrest warrants, including one for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mamdani reiterated his stance supporting accountability for Israeli officials before the court during an appearance on comedian Theo Von's podcast "This Past Week." He argued that the U.S. government should join the ICC, respect its orders, and enforce them against everyone, specifically mentioning the warrant for Netanyahu.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Gaza. Israel rejects the court's jurisdiction and the accusations. Mamdani's current appeal follows his earlier pledge during his election campaign to seek Netanyahu's arrest if he visited New York, based on the ICC warrant. However, Mamdani acknowledged in July, after a legal review by the city administration, that New York authorities lack independent legal authority to execute the warrant, stating that federal U.S. action would be required.

Legal analyses indicate that the U.S. is not a party to the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty, and U.S. law imposes restrictions on cooperation with the ICC, making the enforcement of its orders within the U.S. legally complex. Mamdani's remarks come amid a significant political dispute with Netanyahu, which escalated during the Israeli Prime Minister's visit to New York for the UN General Assembly. In his September 24th address, Netanyahu criticized Mamdani, stating that many New York Jews no longer felt safe and attacking the mayor's stance on the Gaza war.

Mamdani, in turn, accused Netanyahu of deflecting criticism of Israel's conduct in the Gaza war and repeated his accusation that the Israeli government is committing genocide, a charge both Israel and Netanyahu vehemently deny. The article notes that the ICC warrant for Netanyahu specifically concerns alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, not genocide. Both the U.S. and Israel are not member states of the ICC, and Washington has recently adopted positions rejecting the court's jurisdiction over American and Israeli citizens and officials. Mamdani previously stated in July that the city had exhausted its legal options and concluded it lacked independent authority to enforce the warrant, urging the federal government to join the court and act on the warrant.