New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has sparked a fresh row in the US capital by calling for the federal government to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) and execute an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The mayor's intervention, made on Wednesday, comes as Mr Netanyahu prepares to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September – a trip that would normally see him welcomed at the UN headquarters in Manhattan.
However, with his remarks, Mayor Mamdani has effectively served notice that Mr Netanyahu will not be treated as a VIP guest in New York City. Instead, he urged the US authorities to uphold their international obligations and enforce the ICC warrant, which was issued in November 2024. The court alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Israel's military campaigns in Gaza, including "starvation as a method of warfare" and murder.
The arrest warrant names not only Mr Netanyahu but also his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Yet the US government has consistently refused to ratify the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, leaving it unclear whether American authorities would be willing or able to enforce the warrant. The stance is unlikely to change under President Donald Trump's successor, given the long-standing opposition within the administration to the ICC's jurisdiction over non-member states.
The diplomatic row has highlighted once again the deep divisions within international diplomacy regarding the ICC's authority and its application to global leaders. Mayor Mamdani's position has also been met with fierce criticism from pro-Israel officials and legislators, who see it as an overreach of his authority. Former UN spokesperson Jonathan Harounoff dismissed the move as "political theatre," while Senator John Fetterman labelled Mr Mamdani a "clown" for attempting to enforce a warrant that is not binding on US authorities.