New York City Mayor Zehran Mمداني has publicly denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and "architect of genocide" in a CNN interview. This comes as Netanyahu prepares to visit New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Mمداني's comments reflect his long-standing criticism of Israel's actions. He emphasized the importance of upholding the law, referencing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Netanyahu.
Mمداني's remarks were made ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump. During the CNN interview, Mمداني expressed his belief in the importance of accountability, stating that everyone should be subject to the law. He noted that if the International Criminal Court deems someone worthy of arrest due to legal violations, it is not up to individuals to decide who should be above the law.
The Mayor of New York also discussed his decision not to participate in planned protests against Netanyahu. Mمداني stated that while he respects the right to protest, he will not be joining the demonstrations. This decision is reportedly aimed at avoiding further division within the city's Jewish community and addressing potential security concerns.
During his presidential campaign, Mمداني vowed to instruct the New York City Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city, citing the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant. However, he later retracted this pledge, acknowledging that he lacks the legal authority to enforce the warrant.
In a video released two months ago, Mمداني described Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and "architect of horrific genocide against the Palestinian people." He accused Netanyahu of being responsible for the deaths of over 73,000 people and the injury or mutilation of tens of thousands of children.
After the CNN interview, Mمداني met with President Trump, focusing on the latter's decision to ban certain news networks from the White House. Mمداني informed Trump that he intends to allow all media outlets to be present at his residence. Trump responded by criticizing these news networks as "fake" and expressing his intention to hold meetings regarding the issue.
Netanyahu's visit to New York includes a speech at the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, Trump is set to deliver a speech at the same event before returning to Washington, where he is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Key points
- Mمداني labels Netanyahu a "war criminal" and "architect of genocide" in a CNN interview.
- Mمداني retracts his pledge to arrest Netanyahu, citing lack of legal authority.
- The meeting between Mمداني and Trump touches on issues of media access and press freedom.
