NYC mayoral candidate vows to arrest Netanyahu over ICC warrant

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, said in a recent interview that he would direct the New York Police Department to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the leader set foot in the city, citing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. Mamdani reiterated the pledge on Sept. 11 and said he would take the same step if Russian President Vladimir Putin visited, framing the move as a municipal duty to uphold international law when federal leadership is absent.

Mamdani told the interviewer he would invoke precedent in which a state or city official acted against federal expectations, likening his approach to a 2004 case in which San Francisco's then mayor issued marriage licenses for same sex couples despite federal restrictions. He said the pledge reflected a moment when cities and states must "stand up for our own values." Netanyahu’s office did not respond to requests for comment, and a spokeswoman for Israel’s consulate in New York declined to comment when contacted.

Legal scholars warned the proposal would face near-immediate legal and practical obstacles. The United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court, and...