Netanyahu Fires Back After NYC Mayor Says He’d Seek His Arrest

The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement this evening (Sunday) on behalf of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to remarks made last night by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The mayor said he would work to have Netanyahu arrested the moment he arrives to take part in the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The statement from Netanyahu’s office said: "The International Criminal Court is a court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis. Its fake arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu was issued by the ICC’s former prosecutor, Karim Khan, just days before allegations against him for inappropriate conduct were made public. This was a clear attempt by Khan to divert public attention and seek protection from criticism."

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel has taken unprecedented steps during wartime to minimize harm to civilians while confronting Hamas, a murderous terror organization that uses Palestinians as human shields and deliberately targets innocent Israeli civilians."

"Instead of supporting Khan’s criminal conduct, Mr. Mamdani should focus on repairing the damage his policies have caused to New York. Like Karim Khan, Mamdani appears interested in diverting public attention from his foolish actions and attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East.

As a reminder, last night Mamdani said he is considering the possibility of bringing about Netanyahu’s arrest if he comes to the city in September for the U.N. General Assembly. In an interview with The New York Times, he said that "Netanyahu’s place is in The Hague," and added that discussions on the matter are taking place among legal officials in the city.

In the interview, Mamdani referred to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Netanyahu: "He is a war criminal who has been charged in the International Criminal Court." He also added that "many people share this view because of the actions he has taken in recent years."

According to him, it is still unclear whether, as mayor, he is authorized to instruct the New York Police Department to arrest a foreign head of state, but he noted that the issue is being discussed "in the hallways of the city’s Law Department."