Overview
- Mamdani told ABC7 that New York is a “city of international law” and said the city should look to uphold International Criminal Court warrants, naming Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin.
- He reiterated that he would not create new laws to do so, saying he would exhaust every legal possibility while operating within current statutes.
- Commentators and legal observers noted that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the United States, federal law restricts cooperation, and diplomatic immunity protects visiting officials, casting doubt on any municipal authority to act.
- The renewed pledge came as outgoing Mayor Eric Adams met with Netanyahu and urged him to attend Mamdani’s January 1 inauguration.
- The ICC issued a warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity, and Mamdani is set to take office on January 1 as New York’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor.