New York Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said the city should enforce arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, including those against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr Mamdani told CNN during the UN General Assembly that “this is a city that believes in international law”.
“This is a city whose values are ones that deserve to actually be reflected in our commitments,” he said. “Our city should uphold the warrants the International Criminal Court issues, whether it be for Benjamin Netanyahu or [Russian President] Vladimir Putin.”
The US is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that created the ICC, so any attempt by a mayor to direct the local police department to arrest Mr Netanyahu would probably amount to little more than a publicity stunt.
Mr Mamdani accused Mr Netanyahu of orchestrating a “genocide that has killed one Palestinian child every hour for close to two years”, quoting stories from New Yorkers with family in Gaza.
“This is someone whose conduct I hear about from New Yorkers across the Five Boroughs. They come to me with a horror story as to what they have lost,” he said.
“A Palestinian New Yorker told me about losing 85 members of her family to the Israeli military. It’s unconscionable, and a mayor has a responsibility to the people of this city and an opportunity to show your values as the leader of this city.”
The Ugandan-born politician, 33, has drawn sharp contrasts with US President Donald Trump, who has loomed over the race. “I am not Donald Trump. I will follow the laws as they are, as opposed to bend them to my own will,” Mr Mamdani said.
He has emerged as the clear Democratic front-runner after scoring a stunning upset in June’s primary over more established rivals.
He has consolidated support across the party, winning endorsements from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, former Democratic vice president Kamala Harris and several progressive leaders, while pulling in steady financial backing from small donors.
Mr Trump has repeatedly attacked Mr Mamdani’s candidacy, most recently on Monday when he threatened to withhold federal funding if he is elected.
“Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfil all of his fake communist promises,” Mr Trump wrote on social media. “He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him?”
The escalation shows how the city’s mayoral contest has become a proxy fight over the direction of US policy towards Israel and international law, with Mr Mamdani banking on New York residents being ready to embrace a more defiant, globally conscious approach to leadership.
