Mayor had said he was reviewing ability to execute arrest warrant issued by the ICC for Israeli prime minister
Archived version: https://archive.is/20260722025149/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/21/mamdani-benjamin-netanyahu-arrest-authority
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While I would have loved to see it happen, arresting a world leader while in the country for a UN General Assembly dangerously undermines that body’s function.
The UN headquarters agreement grants immunity to world leaders when travelling to New York for these events
It was already broken by the US so it’s a stupid argument.
It is unclear, however, if the US move to deny or revoke visas complies with that document
Use full quote from the article and see how stupid that sounds.
It is unclear, however, if the US move to deny or revoke visas complies with that document, which outlines that foreign officials’ attendance in New York should not be impeded by the US, “irrespective of the relations” between their respective governments and the US.
Your argument is that if the US govt breaks their own law to prosecute their ally who has immunity then they can do it?
Sure, people can do whatever they want at the end of the day and this is meaningless time waste
Palestine is not a member of the UN.
True, but it does have Permanent Observer State status. But it’s a moot argument either way as the immunity given by treaty explicitly extends to anyone invited by the UN to conduct “official business”.
Netanyahu enjoying the freedoms that he viciously denies others.
Yeah, he should should check in on what happened to Maduro while not even in New York.
SO? Hasn’t this country gone way beyond, “legal authority” today? If shooting innocent people is okay, arresting a criminal should be totally fine.
It would be politically stupid to violate diplomatic immunity of a guest of the UN when your country doesn’t even officially recognise the authority of the ICC. The federal government already doesn’t like him; they’d be creaming their pants at the opportunity to get his ass over violating federal and international law. Hell, they’d be obliged to, and every other signatory to the UN that guaranteed this diplomatic immunity would have to back them up.
Besides, it’s not like he’d achieve much. Briefly jailing Netanyahu would make him look like a martyr, but it’s only a question of time until Trump busts his buddy out of there.
Much as we might love to see it happen, Mamdani has to pick his battles. He can do more good by staying in office than by picking a fight with the world.
And ultimately, isn’t Trump shitting on international agreements one of the things sabotaging the US’ diplomatic standing?
Exactly.
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This was extremely obvious even when he announced this ridiculous idea during his campaign. I suspect he knew this, but kept at it to boost his popularity - until he couldn’t do it anymore and had to find a way out.
It’s a show of intent. He wouldn’t have announced it if he thought he could get away with it; he’d just have done it. But by expressing that he’d like to arrest this guy, he signals a political stance that he knows will make him unpopular with a certain influential political activism group.
Good point.
Yeah sure. Can’t happen so no worries Netanyahoo. Come right over to new york. You will be totally safe. No arrest. No siree. Nope.
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For practical purposes, this being illegal means the City of New York cannot unilaterally extradite the international fugitive Benjamin Netanyahu for processing at the ICC facility. The federal government and likely the state of New York would impede the extradition through force of arms. The NYPD can’t win a battle against the US military.
