Mayor Zohran Mamdani again urged the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on war-crimes allegations, accusing him of carrying out what Mamdani called a “genocide” against Palestinians just days before Netanyahu is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly.
Speaking to CNN after a cordial Monday meeting with President Trump at Gracie Mansion, Mamdani said, “When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be — a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Mamdani said accountability should apply even to powerful political leaders, arguing that public faith in government depends on the enforcement of international standards.
“If the International Criminal Court deems someone worthy of an arrest because of a violation of those laws, then who are we to say that anyone should be above that?” he said. “Everyone should be held accountable to it.”
The mayor’s comments come as he seeks to distance himself from remarks he made in July, when he appeared to encourage protesters to take to the streets if Netanyahu visited New York for the high-profile UN gathering without being arrested. Mamdani now says he never issued that call to action.
Mamdani has acknowledged that, despite campaign promises, he does not have the authority as New York City mayor to arrest Netanyahu himself.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, told The Post on Friday that Mamdani may be “clever,” but cannot call for demonstrations and the arrest of a foreign leader before acting as though the remarks were never made.
“He’s very clever, but you cannot set the fire, then say this,” Danon said.
“The mayor has called for demonstrations. So we don’t know what to expect.”
