‘Genocide architect’ Netanyahu should be arrested: Mamdani

Mayor Zohran Mamdani called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal and backed honoring the ICC arrest warrant against him.

By World Israel News Staff

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a CNN interview, accusing him of war crimes and genocide ahead of Netanyahu’s expected visit to the city for the United Nations General Assembly.

“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 told the outlet from the mayor’s residence at Gracie Mansion, adding that he had raised his criticism of the Israeli premier during a recent conversation with President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 22. His anticipated visit has renewed attention on Mamdani’s repeated campaign statements that he would seek Netanyahu’s arrest if the Israeli leader traveled to the city.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant “is something that should be honored, because what we want to see, and we’ve been talking about this today, is a faith in our politics, a faith in accountability,” Mamdani said.

He added that if the “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? And I think very clearly that everyone should be held accountable to it.”

Mamdani has repeatedly said he would seek to enforce the ICC warrant against Netanyahu, who is wanted by the court over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. However, Mamdani lacks the legal authority to do so.

The mayor’s comments came shortly after he met with Trump at the White House on Monday ahead of the opening of the UN General Assembly. Despite their political differences, Trump offered public support for the New York mayor following the meeting.

“I want him to be a great mayor, and he’s certainly got potential and great potential,” Trump told reporters.