New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and urged the US government to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him if he enters the United States, reports Anadolu Ajansı.
In a video message posted on X on Tuesday, Mamdani called Netanyahu "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."
He accused Netanyahu of being responsible for the deaths of more than 73,000 people, targeting hospitals and blocking food and humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza.
Mamdani also said the US bears responsibility because, he said, "we, as Americans, pay for the bombs that do the killing."
"There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest," he said. "Anyone with their eyes, with their heart, with their conscience, should recognize the devastation he has wrought and understand that he belongs before a court of law."
'Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City'
Mamdani acknowledged that New York City does not have the legal authority to enforce the ICC warrant.
"The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant," he said.
"And I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."
He added that while New York City cannot end the conflict, it can choose how to respond.
"While we cannot end the genocide on our own, we can decide whether our silence will become another weapon," he said. "We can examine every tool we have to defend the humanity and dignity of all people."
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Netanyahu "will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America."
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war in Gaza.