According to a report from the New York Times on the 19th, New York Mayor Eric Adams revealed on the 18th that he is actively working with the city’s legal department to assess whether the city government can arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he comes to New York for the UN General Assembly in September.
Mayor Adams, file photo
Adams was quoted as saying, “The Hague is where Netanyahu should go. He is a war criminal indicted by the International Criminal Court. Many people hold this view, not just based on personal stance, but because of his actions over the past years.” During his campaign for mayor last year as a Democratic candidate, Adams had already stated that if Netanyahu came to New York, he would ask police to arrest him.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 regarding Israel’s military operations in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, accusing him of crimes against humanity and war crimes. However, the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and has never recognized the ICC’s jurisdiction.
According to the Times of Israel, in response to Adams’ remarks, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Danny Danon, responded on the 18th that it was Adams who should be arrested, not Netanyahu. In a recent radio interview, Netanyahu stated that he is not worried about Adams’ previous threat to arrest him and accused Adams of supporting the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). He also believes Adams “secretly hates America.”
The New York Times noted that Adams’ views on Israel are no longer a marginal opinion within the Democratic Party. In the past week, nearly half of Democratic House members voted to reduce U.S. aid to Israel. Although the bill did not pass, it clearly indicates a broader shift in the Democratic Party’s attitude toward Israel. Al Jazeera reported on the 18th that this situation would have been unimaginable a few years ago, highlighting a significant change in the political winds surrounding this issue.