The list of mayors ready to call for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits their cities is growing. After the statements made last Saturday by the mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani, this morning, Friday 24 July, the mayor of London Sadiq Khan made the same promise.
Khan and Netanyahu’s arrest
Khan, interviewed by Symeon Brown, home affairs correspondent for Channel 4 News, did not mince words on the possible execution of the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu: “Anyone accused of genocide must face justice. I would work with the authorities and other British leaders, such as the mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham, to enforce the law if he came to the United Kingdom.” “Whoever commits genocide – he reiterated – is not welcome in London”.
Mamdani’s statements
Khan’s words follow those of Mamdani, who in recent days had said that he intended to ask for the arrest of the Israeli prime minister upon his arrival in New York in September to participate in the United Nations General Assembly. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu should be tried in The Hague,” explained the mayor of the Big Apple. The latter subsequently recognized that his administration does not have the legal authority to directly arrest the prime minister, however urging the federal government to implement the provision issued by the ICC: “The city of New York cannot arrest Benjamin Netanyahu but the federal government can: I invite him to join the International Criminal Court and execute the arrest warrant.”