New York Mayor Bloomberg said that he is discussing with relevant municipal departments whether New York has the authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu if he visits New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September this year.
In an interview published in The New York Times on July 18th local time, Mamdani once again reiterated his view that Netanyahu, who has been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for alleged 'crimes against humanity and war crimes' committed in the Gaza Strip, should be held responsible for the Israeli actions in Gaza.
I believe that Netanyahu should be brought before the Hague for trial, as he is accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Mamdani said.
However, Mamdani admitted that he wasn’t sure whether he had the authority to order the New York Police Department to detain foreign leaders. Therefore, he is discussing this matter with the city’s lawyers. “What the laws of New York City allow me to do, we will do.”
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu in 2024, charging him with crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between October 8, 2023, and at least May 20, 2024.
Mamdani has attracted attention during his tenure as a candidate for New York City, due to his public support for Palestine. He previously stated that if Netanyahu visited New York, he would push for his arrest.
When asked about Mamdani's remarks, Netanyahu responded that he believed Mamdani “secretly hates America”.
Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also posted a statement on social media platform X, saying that Mamdani's remarks would not change anything. Netanyahu will still go to New York to "state Israel's position and defend the firm rights of its citizens" at the United Nations General Assembly.
According to Al Jazeera, Mamdani's election as New York Mayor, and his continued demand for accountability from Netanyahu, are seen as reflecting a noticeable change in the attitudes of American Democratic voters towards Israel.
A poll released in May showed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters oppose continued U.S. assistance to Israel, compared to only 45% three years ago. Nearly half of the respondents believed that the overall support for Israel by Democrats was “excessive”.
Although this change in public opinion has not yet fully translated into policy adjustments by Democratic Party leaders, there are still many political figures within the Democratic Party who firmly support Israel. However, an increasing number of Democratic politicians are beginning to gradually adjust their positions.
Earlier this week, nearly half of the Democratic members of the U.S. House voted in favor of ending aid to Israel. Analysts believe that this result reflects a changing political landscape regarding the Palestinian-Israeli issue within the United States, something that would have been almost unimaginable just a few years ago.
